To Turn Back Time
by Maya. Y
Summary: They kept watch over one another, knowing that nightmares were a foe almost as terrifying as any enemy soldier could be. 'He wasn't supposed to be here… he wasn't supposed to fight this war…' and yet, he was very much here, sitting next to her in their oppressive prison. 'Ichigo, you better keep me sane, you idiot... I can't do it for myself...'
1. Strawberry

**Summary: If you could change your past, which had led to your futures demise, would you take the opportunity? -The one visible eye that belonged to Rukia darkened. "You don't exist in my world…not anymore"**

Story roughly based after Aizen went to _Hueco Mundo_.

In this chapter:

**Bold writing = **Talking in unison.

-Saru = Monkey.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That honor goes to Tite Kubo.**

**In all chapters:**

'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

'_**Emphasis during flash backs or in general'**_

"_**Talking emphasis during flashbacks or in general"**_

**.**

**.**

* * *

Small feet hurriedly shuffled towards the office of the 13th Division, dodging around other scattered pairs of feet that were far larger then its own.

Occasionally there would be a small "excuse me" or "sorry" here and there to accompany the hurried feet.

* * *

Ukitake Joushiro, the honorable and quiet captain of the thirteenth Division, sweat dropped as two large colorfully wrapped boxes obscured his view of his two third seat officers.

"MY GIFT IS FAR MORE BETTER THEN YOURS! BAKA SARU!"

"LIES! MY GIFT CLEARLY SHOWS THAT I LOVE TAICHOU MORE THAN YOU! KOTETSU!"

A trail of smoke started to appear between the frictions of two chafing foreheads.

Ukitake couldn't help but feel doomed at times like these.

"A-ano… you didn't have to bring-"

**"****UKITAKE TAICHOU! I LOVE-"**

Their cries died down as the doors slid open with a bang. All three heads turned towards it to find-

"Sorry I was late Ukitake Taichou!"

The petit black-haired shinigami was propped on her knees, her cheeks had an adorable tinge of pink to them as she gasped for air; Ukitake gave a small smile, while secretly trying to telepathically convey his deep appreciation.

"It's quite alright Rukia, you didn't miss much"

Rukia sweat dropped as she looked at both Kotetsu and Sentaro, and the two, very large, colorfully wrapped boxes that were almost blocking Ukitake taichou's whole frame. Ukitake didn't have to explain, Rukia understood it all.

It was a very frequent routine, whenever Ukitake got hospitalized; Kotetsu and Sentaro would have a 'battle' of sorts to show their love for the captain, usually trying to show each other up by bringing the most gifts, running the most errands, shouting the loudest, the whole nine yards, much to the apprehension of the captain.

Rukia took a seat in between the two 3rd seated officers

"Good morning Sentaro-san, Kotetsu-mph-"

Her morning greeting was welcomed by Kotetsu's bosom,

"Moooorning~ Rukia-chan!"

Sentaro leapt from his kneeling position and took hold of Rukia's ankles

"LET HER GO YOU GRIZZLY BEAR!"

Rukia's face was now buried deep in the void, having no way out. She desperately tried pulling her head out by pushing against Kotetsu's shoulder; her muffled cries for help were long since ignored by the two raging officers.

Ukitake felt genuinely sorry for her, it sometimes mystified him how one woman's bosom was so statistically created so that not even one space of air was available for oxygen… not that he was contemplating on his subordinate's bosom, of course not. The thought just naturally came to him one day, when he was having a cup of tea –

"HE-MPHGM!"

Ukitake was brought back from his thoughts and gave a small cough; the two officers looked at him in silence.

"T-TAICHOU! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Kotetsu threw a very worn out Rukia out of her chest, Ukitake held his hands in front of him in a defensive, yet never effective, manner.

"I'm alright, now, on with Rukia's mission in Karakura" Rukia sat up, and ceased trying to tidy her hair again.

Ukitake gave a small frown.

"After Aizen had went to Hueco Mundo, a large number of hollows had started to appear in the real world. It unsettles Captain Commander so his sending you and the sixth Division captain to Karakura town."

Eyes widened. "Nii-sama?"

Ukitake nodded.

"The reason behind this is because the numbers of hollows that are showing up are very strong, definitely not like the average hollows that we've faced in the past." Ukitake furrowed his eyebrows, eyes unfocused in deep thought.

Rukia stared at her captain. "Do…you think that this is Aizen's doing?" Ukitake looked up at her. "I can't deny that I think so, but so far, we don't have much details on why their powers suddenly escalated."

Ukitake relaxed his eyes as he observed the troubled expression of his subordinates.

"You and Kuchiki Taichou are to leave this evening."

Rukia gave a small nod, stood up and bowed. "I'll be getting ready then, I'll see you soon Taichou."

Ukitake smiled and gave a small wave. "Take care Ru-

"BE CAREFUL, RUKIA-CH-!"

"OI! YOU BAKA SARU! DON'T INTERRUPT OUR TAICHOU!"

"EH! STOP INTERRUPTING ME! YOU BOAR!"

"NANIIII!"

Rukia gave a small smile before walking out of the office.

* * *

"Nee-san, nee-san, nee-san, nee-"

Orange eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Oi…"

Well sculpted hands held on to a Karakura High 9th edition Math's text book.

Ready.

"Nee-san, nee-san, nee-san-"

Aim.

"Oi!"

FIRE.

"Nee-san, nee-san, nee-sa-GACK"

"SHUT UP YOU DAMN PLUSHIE! IM TRYING TO DO MY HOMEW-GAH"

The 9th edition math's book that was once planted deep in cheap material was now lodged in between skin.

"How dare you attack this Kon-sama!"

The book fell out, leaving a mark between where Ichigo's nose would have been. Ichigo fell back on to the floor in semi shock and pain.

"Why YOU-" As Ichigo reached out to strangle Kon, a mysterious force kicked his rear end violently, sending his body toppling forward. Eyes closed to mentally soften the impact, and surprisingly, it did. When Ichigo opened his eyes, a pair of black beads stared back at him.

"Baka Ichigo, stop kissing Kon, we have a mission to do."

Ichigo hurriedly got up in disgust. "BLAH! STUPID-"

Plushie hands slapped him squarely on the cheek, pivoting his head.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL KON-SAMA'S FIRST…NEE-SAN!"

Iin an instant, Kon flew to his prime target.

"Nee-san, your lovely valley calls for-"

And in an instant, Rukia managed to throw him to the other side of the room.

Hands that were violently twitching, stopped, the carrot head turned his head to meet up with a very…tall looking midget and her self-centered, stick-up-the-ass brother looking down on him. He immediately stood up and restored nature back to normal again, where midgets stayed as midgets and he was on eye to eye level with egotistical bastards.

"R-RUKIA! Why did you bring Byakuya with you?"

Rukia's neat eyebrow gave a violent twitch.

"What kind of greeting was that, fool?"

Byakuya remained silent. In his mind, he was pondering; why did his little sister share a room with this idiotic buffoon of a man? A manner less man who frustratingly referred to him on such casual terms; not minding the fact that he was a couple of hundred years older than him, not minding the fact that he could very much senbonzakura his ass to all infinity.

He gave the room a quick glance, it was definitely not his manor, but it would have to do. He glided across the floor and sat down. "Rukia, Kurosaki Ichigo, sit down; there is much we must discuss."

"Hai, nii-sama."

Ichigo just gave a grunt while complying.

"Regarding the real world mission we are on, I believe you have already been informed Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya's steely grey eyes bore in to Ichigo's, who was completely oblivious.

"Ah, Toushiro told me a few days ago, but I don't understand," Ichigo frowned, "Is this Aizen's doing? Definitely the hollows have gotten stronger, I can feel it, but it's nothing I can't control."

Rukia sighed. "The captain commander was worried that you wouldn't be able to control it for long. The hollows obviously got stronger over a day, who knows what could happen tomorrow."

Ichigo stayed silent. "That aside, I didn't expect Byakuya to come as well. Where are you going to stay?"

"Soul society already made arrangements for us."

Ichigo turned to Rukia. "You're not going to stay here?"

She turned to face him. "Iie, as nii-sama said, soul society already arranged a place to stay over the period of time that we're going be here."

The strawberry simply nodded and pondered at why his chest felt tight. Rukia's expression softened, "how's everyone?"

Ichigo stared at her. "Uh… the usual, Keigo constantly says that he misses you."

A trim eyebrow twitched. "Is that so…?"

The continuous twitching was followed by a crooked grin. "Guess I'll have to visit my _friends, _ne?"

Ichigo sweat dropped.

Tomorrow…would be a long day.

* * *

The following morning started off with the brightness of the sun leaking through fern green drapes that opened up to Ichigo's room. The light hit the delicate features of his youthful and chiseled face, illuminating it. The pupils dilated to let the light in as eyelids that hid golden brown eyes flickered open.

Ichigo sat up from bed with a small grunt; his long sun-kissed, well-built arms praised the ceiling in a stretch, pulling his shirt up enough to show a decent amount of his stomach. He gave a morning yawn and got ready to get out of bed before his door slammed open.

"MORNING! I-CHI-GOOOOOO!"

Said boy dodged a roundhouse kick aimed for his head, and watched as his father tried to untangle himself from his bed.

"It's too damn early in the morning dad! Go annoy Karin or something."

"MY FOOLISH SON! YUZU HAS PREPARED A SUPERB FAMILY BREAKFAST! DO NOT KEEP HER WAITING LONG!" With that, his nuisance of a father left the room. Ichigo gave a sigh before running a hand through his short orange locks which he remembered, had brought him much trouble in the past.

He paused and glanced sideways at his closet…

He tensed his body and gave a slight frown when the she-devil didn't jump out and attack him…

_'Oh right…Rukia isn't here.'_

His expression softened at the thought and stared at the closet, an unknown tightness seizing his heart uncomfortably. Even though there were periods of time where Rukia couldn't come over to Karakura, the fact that she was here…but just not _here_, under his watchful eye, made him feel restless.

Whenever she could come over to the living world, she would always stay at his house… with him, whether it was in his closet or in his sisters' room. It was just an alien feeling to him, waking up that morning without the greeting of her midget figure, her harmonious voice, which always left the impression of a broken record, which always managed to invent a new insult especially created for him.

And those overly large eyes that shimmered between the most breathtaking shades of amethyst, and electrifying violet, depending on her mood at the time. At this, Ichigo had come to the conclusion that no matter how stoic and aloof you seemed to be, your eyes were truly the windows to your souls. When angered, they would narrow and turn darker, when joyful, they would widen and sparkle. They were small differences, but differences nonetheless.

He stopped in the middle of getting changed into his school uniform and contemplated on his utterly, outrageously, ridiculous thoughts.

He had just thought of Rukia with a 'harmonious' voice, and the most 'breathtaking shades of amethyst'…just what the hell was he doing?

He gave a sigh and finished packing all his text books when the blinking of his clock caught his attention.

He was late.

All that ludicrous thinking of Rukia made him late!

He had thoughts about complaining to Rukia about this.

* * *

_"Oi! Midget! You made me late for class!"_

_"Fool! I met you in class! What are you on about?"_

_"Yeah, well, I blame you for hypnotizing me into devoting all my morning thoughts on you!"_

_"What?"_

_"Uh…never mind."_

* * *

_'No… that wouldn't go too well…'_

His long legs sprinted down the stairs, missing a few steps in the process, he briefed through the kitchen where Karin and Yuzu were already seated, with a piece of toast in front of them, though their father was nowhere to be seen.

"Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo grabbed a piece of toast from the larger plate in the middle, and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Horry Yuhu, I'm wate for hchool."

Yuzu tilted her head in confusion; Karin gave her brother a side glances as he struggled to put on his shoe and eat his breakfast at the same time.

"He said 'Sorry, Yuzu, I'm late for school because I was too busy thinking about someone."

The carrot top snapped his head at Karin 'ouch, whiplash', his black pupils that were nestled in a sea of golden brown dilated to nothing but a dot, and his eyes widened with astonishment, almost threatening to cover his face.

Karin gave a lazy grin, but in Ichigo's eye, it held a much darker, much _sinister _meaning.

_'Baka Karin.'_

* * *

Ichigo had gotten into the classroom just as Ochi-sensei slammed the door with a slam, as Ichigo propped himself on his knees, he allowed himself to take breath before stopping. He felt killer intent radiating from behind him, swallowing, he turned to see light reflecting off of Ochi-sensei's glasses.

"Only this time Ichigo Kurosaki, next time you won't be so lucky."

Ichigo gave a sweat drop and couldn't help but feel that everyone was out to get him that day. First telepathically with Rukia and her stupid eyes, second with his sinister younger sister, and now with his own sensei. No one was giving him a break today. He went over to his friends to mentally stabilize himself for the long day ahead.

Orihime, who was chatting with Tatsuki, was the first to greet him, "Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" she gave the small smile of hers, and sat in her seat like Ichigo had.

"Ah, morning Inoue, Chad, Ishida, Tatsuki."

He gave an approving nod as everyone around him started to settle down.

The teacher slammed her book down on the desk and was on her way in opening her mouth to say something, before the classroom door opened. The whisperings here and there came to a halt.

"Good morning, minna-san!"

Ichigo froze.

He knew this voice.

This horribly high-pitched voice, that was sugar-coated from beginning to the end, top to bottom, side to side, left to right.

This horribly mocking voice, that managed to somehow hypnotize him into thinking that is was 'harmonious'.

This horribly familiar voice, that oddly made his stomach feel 'fluttery', to the point where he thought he had gastric problems.

This horribly cringe-worthy voice, that in actual fact, made him feel much more relaxed, now that the owner of it was here, under his watchful eye.

Good Lord Almighty of the Heavens how the hell did she manage to do that.

Who knows?

That small midget stood front of the classroom, with her snow white skin that were so smooth and unscathed, her adorable button nose that were above her cute little lips, which were stretched out into a smile, and her breathtakingly stunning amethyst eyes that managed to illuminate her whole face, shining as if she had just saved the world from destruction.

Eyebrows twitched. He was doing it again, having utterly, outrageously, and ridiculous thoughts about that she-devil midget. He still watched her though, golden brown eyes picking up even the smallest movements from her.

"I apologize Ochi-sensei, but I found my long lost relative, and I've been staying with them for the whole of my absence. I just wanted to hang onto this bond so much that I couldn't bear to let it go. I finally worked up the courage to come back, because education is important after all and I couldn't forget my wonderful classmates and sensei"

Big sparkly eyes glossed over and started to form tears at its rims, giving the impression of a girl who had just found her long lost relative, and finally worked up the courage to come back to school, after all these months of absence.

Ichigo just stared helplessly around his class as some of them brought out handkerchiefs to cry into, one almost going as far as leaning on a friends shoulder and bawling. It was then and there, where he had truly felt it, his class was pathetic.

Absolutely pathetic.

Ochi-sensei tried calming the girl down, hands patting her shoulders "I-it's alright Rukia-chan, I'm so happy that you wanted to come back, to think that we held such an important place in your heart. It moves me to tears." Rukia wiped her tears and gave her teacher a small smile; she looked back to her class and made eye contact with golden brown orbs.

And he saw it, Ichigo saw a small devilish smirk, to the un-trained eye, it would seem as though she was really smiling, but he knew, he knew all too well.

_'Demon.'_

Amethyst shaded eyes closed into an Ichigo-mocking smile. The boy's eye brow twitched.

_'She-demon.'_

However, as the boy was too engaged in a staring contest, he didn't notice a pair of eyes identical to his; watching him.

Oh how sad those eyes were.

* * *

That night the luminescent moon blanketed the town with white light as the dark navy hue of the coming night swallowed the crimson glowing sun at the horizon. The silvery glow gave a tranquil feeling to those who were gazing at its mystifying beauty down on the streets, but to Ichigo, the only thing he felt was remorse, for he had had to paint it scarlet every night with the blood of former human spirits.

Ichigo, Rukia and Byakuya were lead to the western part of Karakura town, having their hollow detectors go haywire.

It was supposed to be the usual patrol.

He'd spot a bunch of hollows trying to feed on human souls.

They would mock him.

He would kill them.

Then he would stare at the moon, his robes splattered with blood, his lips held in a thin line and something akin to angst would be swimming in his golden brown orbs as they silently promised a more peaceful night in the future.

But tonight, he had just proven his earlier hypothesis, whenever that she-demon midget came around; his usually calm and scheduled life was thrown off course. Now he was facing a small number of troublesome white skull-like masks, all bearing a smirk or… what seemed like a smirk anyway…

There were only so many, that Ichigo could count them down using his fingers. But he had learnt from numerous nights of patrolling, that the fewer hollows there were the more effort it took to take them down.

Ichigo turned to his two companions, Rukia only had to handle one, while Byakuya had roughly the same number of soul-deprived-maniacally-smirking hollows as Ichigo.

Despite the arrival of Rukia, and her schedule bending ways, he had still hoped for a quiet night, the thought flew out of the window as he dodged a massive fist that was aiming for his head.

They had eventually agreed to split up, but it didn't mean that Ichigo had liked the idea. Sure that egotistical, follow-the-rule-at-all-costs, no-nonsense of a brother was here, but it didn't stop him from worrying over the midget. Killing the hollow that hurt Rukia was not a problem, taking back that inflicted pain was.

It always was.

Unyielding determination and persistence swam in those intense honey-golden orbs, his handsomely sculpted face went rigid and a thin line was formed by his lips. He observed the hollows and couldn't help but think back to Orihime's brother, when he had actually seen his face. He was a wise young man about the world, and he knew and came to terms that even though those hollows that were sneering back at him seemed like monsters, they were still once humans. Humans that had the same flesh and bones as him, had thoughts and feelings like him and had cried and laughed like him. In his mind, he recited a prayer, something that, over time, had become a habit of his.

_'Please, never forgive me…if you do, I'm scared that I'll want to repent, scared that the reason I've given myself to kill you, is just an excuse. Never forget me, for I shall not forget you either.'_

**"****Getsuga Tenshō."**

* * *

Rukia tensed, she didn't think it possible that one hollow could radiate such a toxic air. She observed its mask, the smallest of details penetrating under her skin and entering her blood stream, never to leave her body. She had a foreboding feeling that she'd have to remember those features tonight.

His white, skull-like mask was in the shape of a feline's; the 'ears' of it pointing rigidly north, gleaming in the moonlight like sharp daggers ready to pierce themselves into her; ready to shred at her every fiber of being. The jaw line sharply jutted out and slanted back in to form the chin; she noticed that nothing seemed smooth about this hollow. The mouth portion was stretched into an ear-to-ear grin that seemed to mock her and the eye slot was positioned into horizontal slits where its beady red eyes bore into her violet irises. All the pointed corners of its mask were poised to inflict pain.

Its build was bony and purple toned, large white talons protruded out from its hands; set to hack at her heart; the place where the soul of every living thing dwelled. The feet were equally large and dagger tipped. Rukia trailed her irises slowly up his chest, and gazed at the gaping hole. Empty and denied of a heart and soul.

She dodged right as his talons made a swoop at her head, tensing her body as she got ready to fight; feeling a bead of sweat travel down her unblemished forehead and down to her chin, the dull sound of her pounding heart in her ears were deafened by his hysterical cackle.

"You think you can defeat me shinigami? Or are you frozen in fear?"

Rukia frowned, "don't be foolish hollow, we have defeated you."

She had said in such a sure and loud voice; but she knew, and she felt that the hollow also knew, that the volume of her voice was to cover for the small uncertainty behind them. She put up a strong façade while secretly hiding behind it, anxious of how much this ominous hollow could hack at her being.

Clenching her hands tightly around the hilt of her sword, she flash stepped towards the eye of the poisonous storm, bringing her sword above her head to deal a downwards strike over its head.

It didn't show, but Rukia could feel his beady red eyes mocking her.

"_You _are the only foolish one here _shinigami_."

The hollow blocked her swing and in one strike, its overly large claws ripped at Rukia's soul.

With her head thrown back and her mouth agape; screaming in silent pain, blood spurted out like waterfalls, gushing out large amounts from the petite body.

Ichigo looked at her direction, golden brown orbs seized in panic.

"Rukia!"

Unexpectedly the gaping wounds in her chest began to glow brightly.

The golden glow soon flared brightly into an eye blinding flash.

And just as fast as it had come, it had gone.

There, where Rukia Kuchiki had stood not too long ago, the substitute shinigami saw someone else, someone that wasn't her.

The stranger was a tall and well-endowed figure whose raven hair, tied down lowly by a silver hair piece, blew with the night wind like water currents.

From behind, Ichigo saw that she wore the standard sleeveless captain's uniform; only inverted, a black haori over a white shihakushou. The faint white stitching of the Division of the Sixth Squad was evident as it fluttered in the night wind with her katana nestled at her left.

The hollow that stood in front of her took a step back. It was now her aura that was consuming him; suffocating him as it dangerously swirled around her being.

It felt like a battered fox running away in the midst of a barrage of bullets, its animalistic instincts screaming at its already worn out body to run; run and hide from hands that would bring down torture if it didn't fight. And right now, his instincts told him to run, for whoever this person was, she was obviously far stronger then the former shinigami and posed more danger.

Much more danger.

"Who are you, girl?"

Her amethyst eye focused in front of her, making the hollow cringe. The unusual mix of steel gray and violet gave off an eerie atmosphere. Without uttering a sound, she slowly closed her eye. The hollow growled and got ready to lunge at her.

"Answer m-"

"What is your name, hollow."

The hollow froze.

"Your name, hollow."

"Garra Felino."

Her amethyst eye snapped open and without even blinking, she drew her sword in blinding speed.

All Ichigo witnessed was a hollow leaping at her one second, and then getting split in half the next. If he wasn't looking keenly at her, he would of have missed her quick drawing.

As the night was overcome in silence, the stranger slowly turned to face him and when she did, he froze, trying to make sense of what he was looking at.

"R-Rukia…"

The lone visible eye that held solidity, was flooded with confusion as it stared at deep brown orbs; she searched into them almost as if she was trying to get an answer out of them, and as Ichigo stared into hers, he couldn't help but feel sick when he couldn't see into the other one.

"I-Ichigo?"

But soon, eyebrows furrowed into a scowl, mouth gritted to bite back a growl and the lone amethyst eye was now overflowing with rage.

"Che. You've gone too far Aizen."

The stranger charged at Ichigo, her sword drawn in the intention of cutting anything and everything down. Ichigo hastily brought up his sword in defense, as blades clashed; the face of their wielders drew close in a silent show down.

"You're…Rukia…right?"

The unresponsive lady clenched her teeth and gave a deep growl, her eye narrowed as she pushed him away with a vicious force of power, sending him hurtling through a building.

Ichigo could feel the wind split over his back as he was sent crashing into a building, he quickly caught himself on the ground and leapt to the closest roof to him.

He hadn't mistaken his eyes; it was Rukia, with her one strand of hair that ridiculously managed to stay in its place between her eyes, no matter what she did. And her amethyst eye… Ichigo thought back to those numerous times where he would stare into those orbs without even noticing that he was doing it.

His train of thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he was staring into that familiar amethyst again, before he could register what was happening, all he saw were an entity of wrath, bringing down her sword to deal the finishing blow.

His eyes followed the glistening blade making its way to his heart, his forehead furrowed and his mouth agape in surprise.

"Bakudo no rokujuichi: Rikujokoro."

Six beams of bright light lodged themselves in the girl's midsection, trapping both of her arms, immobilizing her. She fell to the concrete ground with a dull thud, and her expression stiffened; she slowly turned to the noble.

"Hollows…don't use kido…"

She stared at the man's features and got thrown into a world that she did not know anymore.

The gray eyes that had once stared at her lifelessly was now staring down at her in all of its noble glory, long black tresses that had been stained by his blood and her tears were flowing gracefully behind his back, the symbol of the Kuchiki Clan that had once been broken just like it's clan, the white kenseikan, was placed proudly on top of his head, the white haori that had once been shredded to all but nothing, was now over the shoulder of its wearer.

Byakuya Kuchiki was standing beside her.

"_Impossible…"_

She shifted so that she was kneeling in front of him; immobile arms struggled to reach out for him, but hovering in hesitation, "B-Byakuya? You… can't be here…"

Ichigo reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but felt a cold chill stir through his body when she flinched at his touch, her now horrified eye bore into his painfully.

"Why…_WHY ARE YOU ALIVE?"_

And his world stopped.

* * *

Byakuya was forced to arrange an early departure on the spot due to the events that had occurred, and had requested for a hell butterfly to accompany them through the Senkaimon.

The whole time of doing so, Ichigo stood face to face with the newcomer; unyielding golden brown eyes looked at her and her lone orb that was stationed solely on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with him. Taking in her facial features, it seemed as if the more he gazed at her, the more she looked like Rukia…but at the same time, didn't.

The stranger in front of him was no midget and was definitely not small; she easily seemed to be able to stand eye to eye to him; hadn't hers being so fixated on the ground, and her figure could easily make the most famous of models run for their money, her curves being visible by the tightly bound black obi that held together her white shihakushou. And unlike Rukia, who had an air of warmth and affection around her, the one in front of him seemed colder; giving off the feeling of authority and indifference.

The one thing that had pained him to see was her eyes, the lack of it. The moon light bounced off of her pale white skin and revealed an all-too familiar strand of hair hanging in between her one visible amethyst orb, narrowed and alert. The right was covered by a large, black leather eye patch, held firmly by two straps extending across her fact. One that extended up her forehead and one down across her nose and to the back of her head, almost covering the entire right side of her face.

And despite her clearly not fitting into his Rukia criteria, this lady; who had neither agreed to nor disagreed to being Rukia Kuchiki, still made his heart beat faster.

When Byakuya was about to make his way into Senkaimon, with the lady…Rukia trailing behind him, still immobilized in Rikujokoro. Ichigo hesitated before calling out, "I want to go with you." The Sixth Division Captain turned to him, "Karakura Town will still be overrun by hollows; it needs someone here, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Said boy frowned in discomfort. "There's still Chad and Ishi-"

"Rukia would of have wanted you to stay."

Ichigo took a step back in slight bewilderment; he clenched his jaw in silent defeat and glanced to the side.

"I'll be there later then…"

Byakuya turned back to the gates, he gave no reply, but Ichigo already knew his answer, he stared at the retreating backs of the two who bore the same titles; one in unsullied white, the other in tainted black.

As they slowly walked through the elegantly formed gates that lead to Soul Society, Ichigo's golden brown orbs made contact with a single amethyst depth for a split second, and when they did, Ichigo felt something grip at his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

Staring deeper into that pool of amethyst, he was over flooded with a sense of angst and vulnerability; feeling as if it was reaching deeply into his soul, rattling at all his chains of self control and digging up all the secrets and feelings that he didn't want it to.

With every passing second, he seemed to find it harder to breathe, everything moving slowly as if he was in a trance. The moment she turned to face the front, Ichigo felt the air getting lighter and his short breaths become more regular.

The last thing Ichigo saw of the newcomer that night was her lengthy black tresses vanishing into the bright light, and the wave of her identically colored haori, which bore the white stitching of the sixth Division, flapping behind her.

.

.

.

_To be continued_

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**I was wondering if I should refer to her one eye as just eyes, because I keep using the same group of words to describe them over and over again.**

_**~Peace, M**_


	2. Floating Bamboo

_Disclaimer: Does not own Bleach. Does own plot, however._

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_(Recap)_

_As he stared deeper into that pool of amethyst, he was over flooded with a sense of angst and vulnerability; feeling as if it was reaching deeply into his soul, rattling at all his chains of self control and digging up all the secrets and feelings that he didn't want it to. _

_With every passing second, he seemed to find it harder to breathe, everything moving slowly as if he was in a trance. The moment she turned to face the front, Ichigo felt the air getting lighter and his short breaths become more regular._

_The last thing Ichigo saw of the newcomer that night was her lengthy black tresses vanishing into the bright light, and the wave of her identically colored haori, which bore the white stitching of the sixth Division, flapping behind her._

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As the white buildings of Soul Society came into view, Byakuya felt the woman next to him halt.

"I can't believe it."

He had heard her barely whisper over the wind, and would of have missed it if he hadn't strained his ears, she had a silky tone of voice that almost seemed too out of place with her roguish appearance. Concealed firm silver-grays revealed as he opened his eyes, and gave a small side glance in her direction.

"We are to meet with the Captain-Commander right this instant, stranger."

She didn't budge; not a twitch, not even a battering of her lone pool of amethyst. She played her cards well and held a poker face, betraying no emotions. The lack of reactions she showed, however, was too practiced for him to just let it go as a mere action of dim-wittedness. She seemed to be a tactical woman, who knew how to work her audience, giving off an air of authority.

His eyes trailed backwards to the fluttering of her haori, and as they focused on the white stitching, new questions blossomed from his ever growing curiosty of the woman. It was definitely the symbol of the Sixth Division, clearly portraying a captain's title; but he had never met her in his life and definitely not anyone who had a black captain's haori.

* * *

Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai felt the small spark of reiatsu that belonged to the Sixth Division Captain. He waited patiently in his chair at the back of the brightly lit Assembly Hall, while the captains were assembled in two parallel lines. Yamamoto Genryusai had felt the necessity in inspecting this stranger who Byakuya Kuchiki and the substitute shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, had met in the real world; a stranger who had managed to pique the interest of the Sixth Division Captain, and bring to a halt on the real world mission.

The Sixth Division Captain had informed him that it would be best to assemble the other captains; it was clear to Yamamoto that this stranger interested and worried the nobleman, to the point where he had thought it necessary for the others to know.

He looked up to the large double doors and kept his piercing stare on it as they opened up to reveal his guests.

As Byakuya and the newcomer made their way in front of him, he; along with the captains, observed the girl with a hawk's eye as she knelt with her head held low. The booming voice of the Captain Commander rippled through the silence.

"Who are you child."

It was then where the newcomer lifted her head, and met eye to eye with Yamamoto, her lips were drawn in a thin line and her eyes turned solid and unwavering, all she gave as an answer was a blank stare.

Yamamoto tapped the bottom of his concealed zanpakuto, its sharp clinking sound echoing through the hall. He spiked his reiatsu a level higher to show his authority and asked once more.

"I will not repeat myself again. Who are you."

Small pink lips opened slightly to give a response.

"I am the Captain of the Sixth Division, Rukia."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"If you're trying to infiltrate Soul Society, at least check to see if the captain is absent before you decide to trick us."

Amethyst snapped towards the speaker.

"You're as sharp as ever, nee-san."

The Chief-Commander of the Secret Mobile Unit took a step back in slight surprise. This unruly looking girl seemed to demand a higher level of authority than even Yoruichi-sama. The way the girl looked at her gave her chills of unknown fear. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I am the Captain of the Sixth Division, Rukia. And where I'm from… hardly any of you are alive."

The captains present, had noticed that she didn't introduce herself as a Kuchiki.

A heavy tension hung in the silent air.

"Don't play games with us-"

"Soul Society is nothing but a wasteland, old man Yamamoto. Come on now; don't tell me you can't recognize my reiatsu."

Certainly, all the captains had been reading her flow of spiritual pressure, and strangely, it was the familiar reiatsu of one Rukia Kuchiki. This only managed to plunge the girl into a more thicker layer of mystery and confusion.

"Then your uniform-"

It was at this moment, where the corners of those thinly pursed lips drew up in a small smile, and its cold hard pools of amethyst closed. Her face, which had illustrated all the signs of caution and security, slowly put down their walls of defense and allowed a look of weariness to show. Oh how long has it been since she was able to let her guard down, since she was able to smile, and let her heart feel something other than indifference to all the bloodshed around her.

"That's what happens when Aizen is the Captain Commander."

The heavy tension in the air got heavier.

The room temperature dropped to a couple of degrees as the reiatsu of the Tenth Division Captain spiked.

"What did you say?"

Voice clearly showed signs of attempted reserve as they were laced with calm fury.

"You've shrunk Toushi-kun" her casual reply irritated the Tenth division captain, however he would keep in mind her insolences for another time, he was more concerned about what the stranger had said.

Aizen?

That traitor as Captain Commander?

"After Aizen defeated Soul Society, he took control over every aspect of it; Seireitei, Rukongai, the surviving noble clans and even the real world. The captains who had managed to survive were thrown into cells, some even working under him against their whim and I… I took over Byakuya's title as the Sixth Division Captain."

"What you say cannot be true! We would never submit so easily! We would've had-"

"Rebelled? Don't think we haven't tried nee-san; ironically it was usually you who came up with escape plans. Unfortunately we were on lock down, he knew everything about us; the way we moved, the way we slept, the way we blinked, he even knew the way we breathed. He'd toss us to that goddamn psychotic espada who made us his experiments, torturing us until our cries got tiresome."

The hall was in silence, letting the words in the air to slowly seep through their skins. Everyone had different thoughts, but they were all based on the coming peril to Soul Society. It was then where Rukia gave a small but audible sigh, "it's so… so good to see everyone."

"This meeting is dismissed for now. Stranger…Rukia, you will be held at the Thirteenth Division Barracks until further notice."

"Captain Commander, are you sure we can trust her somewhere other than a cell."

"It's quite alright Soifon-taichou, Captain Commander; I can handle things from here" there was a subtle reply from Ukitake Joushiro. He glanced over at Rukia and gave a small smile, he felt familiar with her, and he believed that she was Rukia even though she didn't look the part.

He walked out of line and over to the knelt form of his subordinate and broke the bakudo spell before softly gripping her forearm and shoulder; helping her up. As their eyes met, the waves of deep anguish swimming in them hit him like a strong current and Joushiro couldn't help but feel his heart break at the results of how severely time had ravaged his once innocent subordinate.

Once she straightened herself, she gently pulled herself out of his grasp and took a step away from him, indicating the invisible borderline she wanted him to keep to.

* * *

The distance she put herself from Joushiro prolonged throughout their whole journey towards the more comfortable 13 Division barracks.

As they walked by the many shoji doors, they stopped in front of one; Joushiro escorted her inside the room.

"Ano…Kuchiki-san, these are just some of the rooms in the thirteenth barracks, you can call for me if it's not to your suiting, I'll be more than happy to-" Rukia stared at the man in front of her as pain grappled at her heart and made it difficult for her to breathe. She felt the iron hold on her control quiver, as it took every fiber of her being to keep the distress that was slowly rising from showing on her face.

"Ukitake…san, you can just call me Rukia."

Joushiro had felt a surge of torment from her as an atmosphere of grief oppressed the air.

"Of course Rukia, well, I must be off now, tell me if you need anything" As the tall and liberal man closed the door behind him, all Rukia could do was gaze at the paper door.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_The rain pelted down on the window sill that opened to a warm room in the Thirteenth Division. The white-haired man coughs, ignoring the horrified and worried expressions of his three subordinates. The illness is taking his body, piece by piece, until there was nothing to be left. Still, he smiles cheerfully at the world as if nothing is wrong, as if there is no burning pain infesting his lungs and every breath._

_"Taichou…"_

_He gives a weak smile, one that promises that everything will fine, even in the midst of the war; even in the midst of demise; even when his life clock is slowly depleting. It portrays the lie so calmly, so naturally that it fools them, and almost fools her. But she knows that they were losing, and knows that promises were meant to be broken._

_Perhaps subconsciously though, she wanted to believe his words; even though the sound of his labored breath ringed in her ears and even though the honorable captain, who once stood tall, was reduced to a disease stricken man; she still wanted to believe, so she did._

_"Ne, Shiro-tousan, didn't you say you wanted to be on the field as soon as possible? You need plenty of rest so that you can get better you know!"_

_The two third seat officers looked at her dejectedly but don't mention the envy that had coiled deep in their stomachs at the thought of her naiveté. So of course, they would never know. _

_The only ones that were innocent here were them._

_Traces of relief are evident as Joushiro smiles at her. And Rukia almost laughs in irony, he who tried to fool her, was getting fooled instead. But she would rather have him die in reassurance then to let him know that she knew the cold truth behind his smile._

_"Don't worry Ru-chan, I'll be fine by tomorrow, you should get ready as well if we're to fight alongside everyone."_

_The statement ended with a cough that carved pain in his lungs. Ukitake Joushiro had secretly cursed his uselessness and the illness that was to end him. He had wanted to die in battle, so that even at the end, even if death was certain, he was of use. He remembers days of regret and promises unfulfilled as he lay in his bed. The last promise he had made was with Shunsui, one where if they were to die, they would go out in a blaze of glory._

_Joushiro silently laughed, he was to go out in a blaze of glory? He could barely get up from his deathbed without coughing up blood._

_By now the two third seat officers had left, albeit reluctantly. And Rukia was the only one to share the silence with Joushiro. Deep down, he was almost thankful that he didn't have to spend his last hours alone, thinking of unnecessary thoughts as he waited for the darkness to consume him._

_"Ne Rukia-"_

_It's been a while since he had called her that._

_"-Do you remember the first time you came into the Thirteenth division? You were so shy, it was adorable."_

_Maybe what they said was true, in the last hours of death; people couldn't help but reminisce past memories. Rukia honestly didn't want to reminisce with him, if she did, then she would be accepting his death. But she had desperately wanted him to die a -some-what- peaceful death amongst all this brewing chaos, so she went along with it despite the rain pelting down hard inside her, tearing at her slowly worn out heart._

_"Of course! I always looked up to you; I was so happy that I was assigned to your squad!"_

_**Lies**. _

_All she had felt back then was guilt for getting into a squad she didn't even have to try out for. Feeling the eyes of judgmental senpais boring holes into her back, feeling the pressure of a shinigami, it was never easy for her. _

_"The rain sounds beautiful ne?"_

_Rukia gave a small smile, and hoped to God that it wouldn't crack._

_"Yeah, sounds like an orchestra; I've always loved the sound of rain."_

_**Lies**. _

_She hated rain; detested it, loathed it. How dare it cry the tears that she could not shed; how dare it mock her as it took all of her loved ones away._

_"Ru-chan, you're a strong girl, so independent and determined plus you're cute too! The Gods have graced my adorable daughter ne?"_

_"Don't say such things! You always embarrass me!"_

_If the Gods had graced her, they wouldn't be taking all of her loved ones. They wouldn't be tormenting her as they sent rain down to symbolize another death to those close to her. They were torturing her and enjoying her cries; it seemed to her that they would never quench their thirst for amusement._

_"Ne Ru-chan, I'm going to sleep now."_

_Rukia couldn't help but let out a few drops of tears, it took everything in her being to hold herself back from breaking down and sobbing. She clenched the blankets tightly until her knuckles turned white and started to tremble. She slowly reached out and grabbed his warm hands into hers._

_"O-okay, rest Shiro-tousan, I-I'll see you in the morning."_

_Joushiro closed his eyes, and gently squeezed her hands. Rukia bit her lip, and wished that she could bite her aching heart in half._

_"I think… I'm going to have… a good dream tonight; I'll tell you…when I…wake up."_

_"S-sure, you do that Joushiro-otto-san."_

_"Good night… my beautiful… daughter…Rukia."_

_Rukia waits a few minutes to see if Joushiro would wake up, and smile at her as if nothing was wrong. She waits, and waits, and waits. But the only thing he does is grow cold in her warm, trembling hands._

_Feigning innocence made an ugly mask._

_Grief raked over her small body and tears of anguish made a path down her pale cheeks. She couldn't even get the words out past her lips as she tugged at his hands, desperately trying not to believe. Her throat seared with pain as it tried to breathe, but anguish was drowning her heart; suffocating it._

_However, even if she had screamed out, it would've been drowned out by the sound of rain pelting on the window. Oh how she hated it; hated how it symbolized her grief and carved another scar deep in her heart with another death._

_**Oh how she hated it.**_

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She couldn't remember when she had it; time. With bodies falling beneath her feet, with blood splattering on her cheeks and pooling at the tip of her nose, she was too busy surviving to worry about time.

And now, stuck in the past, Rukia wonders what she can do with so much time on her hands.

Maybe she could take advantage of this miracle. Do the things she couldn't do, say things she couldn't say and get to know the people who had died with her heart, on that miserable place called a battle field.

But she was reluctant.

She didn't want to indulge herself to this luxury. Getting to do the things she couldn't do, saying the things she couldn't say and getting to know the people who had died. To know that they weren't alive in her time to feel the connection, it seemed futile to her.

As her mind quarreled with her heart, logic over feelings; feelings over logic, Rukia cried the tears she thought had dried. She mourned the sobs she thought she drowned. And she wouldn't know, the unknown burden settling heavily in his heart as Joushiro stood outside her door, hearing her quiet sobs and chokes.

She didn't know.

He didn't know.

And they all went around in clueless circles.

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_To be continued…_

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**Sorry this is short. It takes a while to motivate myself to write.**

**~Peace, M**


	3. Base of the Mountain

_Disclaimer: Does not own Bleach. Just the plot._

_I think people found it tad confusing when I used the italics to indicate flashbacks, so I've decided to put in the indication._

_Tell me if you think I should simply not put in the whole '(flashback)' thing._

"_Talking"_

'_Thinking'_

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_(Recap)_

_She couldn't remember when she had it; time. With bodies falling beneath her feet, with blood splattering on her cheeks and pooling at the tip of her nose, she was too busy surviving to worry about time._

_And now, stuck in the past, Rukia wonders what she can do with so much time on her hands._

_Maybe she could take advantage of this miracle. Do the things she couldn't do, say things she couldn't say and get to know the people who had died with her heart, on that miserable place called a battle field._

_But she was reluctant._

_She didn't want to indulge herself to this luxury. Getting to do the things she couldn't do, saying the things she couldn't say and getting to know the people who had died. To know that they weren't alive in her time to feel the connection, it seemed futile to her._

_As her mind quarreled with her heart, logic over feelings; feelings over logic, Rukia cried the tears she thought had dried. She mourned the sobs she thought she drowned. And she wouldn't know, the unknown burden settling heavily in his heart as Joushiro stood outside her door, hearing her quiet sobs and chokes._

_She didn't know._

_He didn't know._

_And they all went around in clueless circles._

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Her lone eerily tinted; silver-violet irises haunted him that night.

The despair that was swimming inside it prevented Ichigo from having a sound sleep, he tried to maneuver his thoughts around the events that had occurred a few hours ago, but couldn't find himself to understand.

Eyes were furrowed immensely as honey golden orbs stared at the room's ceiling in deep thought. Orange locks were tangled in the webs of his digits as his large calloused hands nestled his head while he lay down on his bed, there were so many unanswered questions that were running in his head; a whirlwind of turmoil and disbelief.

'_Why did she call out Aizen's name?'_

'_Why had she attacked him?'_

Despite having so many questions that were grappling at him, what should he say when he finally sees her? How could he even bring up a conversation?

He couldn't help but feel the same dreadful helplessness that had tugged at his heart six years ago, on that cold night of June 17th. He hated this feeling, just watching on when he could be doing something; should be doing something. His body frozen as his mind screams at it to move.

_Move._

_**Move, **__Ichigo._

_Make your choice __**right now.**_

As drowsiness slowly took over his senses as he dedicated his thoughts to Rukia.

'_Where are you calling me to… Rukia…'_

Her youthful and smiling face was the last thing he saw before darkness came over him.

* * *

Dark circles had formed under her eye, indicating the desperate sleep she was deprived of.

She couldn't help but think how ridiculously hard it was to kick old habits.

After taking on the title of the Sixth Division Captain, she refused to sleep. She was afraid that she would miss the downfall of Aizen if she had slept; after all there was plenty of time for sleeping after she's dead.

She didn't move an inch from her crouched frame as the sun rose higher to leak through her framed window, hugging her knees to her chest tighter as she cursed the birds for singing.

She looked up and out the brown windows, watching as the sun shone at her with a bright good morning.

_'__How naïve of you sun.'_

Did it not know the turmoil she was going through?

_'__How cruel of you sun.'_

How could it wash over her with warmth, when inside she felt like dying from the constant chill that was eating at her small frame.

* * *

(_Flashback)_

_The days had steadily grown bleaker, and despite Captain Commander Yamamoto's constant attempts to elevate morale, she knew what was happening._

_They were losing this war._

_Sometimes, Rukia wished that the world could rewind itself back to the times of fragile harmony and tangible fantasies._

_She wished that they could wallow in their own naiveté and innocence._

_Just for another day, where everyone lived, just for once…_

_How long has it been...?_

_Five years?_

_Five years._

_The war against Aizen had been going on for five years and it didn't show any signs of stopping. It baffled her how Aizen had managed to bring down the whole of Soul Society to its knee; once a haven for spirits to nothing but a wasteland._

_Secretly, Rukia had thought that this war wouldn't end until all life was completely wiped out._

_War._

_War._

_**War.**_

_She supposed it was Soul Society's punishment in the end. After all, they had indulged themselves in their own naiveté for long enough. Their ignorance and pride had been the base of their very existence, not knowing that it was slowly eating away at them, like small wriggling maggots feeding off rotten, dead flesh._

_But at least they were alive…_

_They were alive… Right?_

_Sometimes, she didn't even know. And honestly, she didn't care._

_Not anymore._

_With all the tendrils of blood lapping at her once clean skin; with all the countless of souls that she had ripped apart with her bare hands, she was past worrying about human lives now._

_Death did that to you, and she thought she could cope._

_She was wrong._

_(End flashback)_

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Being almost a fingertip away from being able to feel their warm skins again, she felt daggers of desperation and want rip at her tattered soul. For countless centuries, the beat of her heart and the lean figure of her shadow were her only companions.

Never had she felt such a yearning for flesh.

Surrounded by the silence of the morning, she remembered the day of Aizen's conquest. So vividly, so clearly.

Amidst the whirlwind of chaos and destruction, the traitor had managed to seize Seireitei in an iron grip, never to let go and never to waver with hesitation.

She had come to despise those eyes of his, steel irises that promised the end of Soul Society and the world.

"Rukia…san."

Her iris focused on the faces of the Thirteenth Division's two third seat officers. She noticed the hesitation illustrated on their faces and couldn't help but feel a twinge in her heart; she stared at their sandaled feet that never made a step into the room and felt the distance ever growing.

She slowly rose from her crouched position and immediately felt her body wail at her cruelty. Having to be on constant guard during the war, she had denied her body from being able to feel the lightweight of loose muscles. Even though her walls of iron defense were still up, she had to admit that it was drastically scaled back.

"Good Morning Kotetsu-san, Sentaro-san."

They jolted at her mellow voice and felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand up in alarm. Rukia realized that they were trying hard to avoid eye contact.

Real hard.

She couldn't blame them though; after all, she was an outsider whose strength hadn't been measured. She could either be controlled by Seireitei or she could take the whole place apart. Obviously, they thought the latter suggestion to be more logical.

"A-ano, Captain Commander is holding a grand meeting in the First Division Quarters and ordered for Rukia-san to be present"

Rukia slowly made her way to the door as she absorbed the information before hearing the slightest sound of a clink; she glanced sideways and saw a masculine hand slightly resting on the hilt of the sword. Her reaction unfazed, she kept walking towards the First Division Barracks with the two third seat officers tailing behind her.

As she walked on those familiar paths again, she saw a few unseated officers making way for her quickly, their eyes never leaving hers. She always thought that word circulated like wild fire throughout Soul Society. She honestly didn't think it was this fast.

* * *

The first thought that greeted Ichigo's mind that morning was the dream he had of Rukia. With all her iron defense and control gone, what was left was her smooth fluorescent skin pale in the darkness of the night; her lone iris that had caught at his heart had put down its barrier of security and was void of all life, looking dully at his in silence.

She had barely visible tear stains making a path down her cheeks and seemed so small and so vulnerable. It made his heart tear in two. He had tried so hard to protect her; it killed him to think that all of his efforts were nothing but a waste in the future.

He wondered what the hell his future self was doing, allowing Rukia to get so _broken._

If he could see his future self, he'd like to of have given him a good upper cut to the jaw right about now.

His mental discussion was cut short when a fluttering of black wings caught his attention. He looked towards his desk and saw a small hell butterfly sitting on top his chair. When he thought of being able to see Rukia again, he immediately felt uneasy again. Up until now, he knew the style of tone to use with her, but now… he was walking into uncharted territory.

A very dangerous territory.

* * *

The quarters were brightly lit, exhibiting the traditional design of the hall. Even with the birds singing songs of bliss and the faint smell of candle essence hanging in the atmosphere, the captains and lieutenants present felt nothing but a heavy burden settling deep, deep within their hearts.

Time stood still as the double wooden doors opened and revealed the weary form of Rukia, she maintained her standing position even when her two escorts knelt down behind her.

"You may leave now."

The seated officers both left in a hurry to get themselves out of there, the atmosphere was oppressing and they weren't sure that they could hold on for long without their knees giving in beneath them.

Rukia's fine eyebrow rose slightly when an all too familiar reiatsu bombarded her senses. However, the shinigami's present in the hall showed indifference even with the waves of reiatsu rolling off of the newcomer, if he was here, it meant that the rest were here aswell.

She stood there in silence, just staring at Yamamoto, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sure you know what you have to say, so speak."

Authoritative as ever.

How the hell did the old man fall beneath Aizen?

With a body like an oak tree, he seemed like he could reign over the forest of Soul Society for hundreds of millenniums. Scars signifying the countless battles it has been through to maintain its title, never to waver and never to be toppled.

But Aizen was a demon; she had to remember that fact.

"I'm lost in counting the days; however we struggled to fight off Aizen and his army for five years, he had already gained control over Soul Society within the next twenty years and his reign over us has prolonged for thirty. We found out that he obtained power from the Hougyoku and Oin."

Brief and sharp, Rukia's rich voice filled the room sending tingles down the spines of the captains and lieutenants present.

"And…everyone is-"

One strawberry blonde Lieutenant couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She stared at steel-amethyst pools, refusing to look away from them.

Rukia couldn't help but soften her gaze at the Tenth Division Lieutenant; it was a lot of information to take in one day. To know that ultimate demise was what the future held, panic and helplessness would of have gripped at everyone's heart and rattled at it until all of it was bare naked for all to see.

Every one of them noticed the softness in her eyes; her silence spoke in volumes.

Rukia looked back to Yamamoto and held his gaze.

"For me to return back to my time, I need the assistance of the Oin. I overheard Lieutenant Shirosaki having a brief conversation on the King's Seal having ominous powers, one which also includes the ability to travel through time."

It was at that time when the core of flowing reiatsu stepped up in front to make his presences known.

"Shiro…saki?"

_'You finally stepped out.'_ Rukia stared at him, isolating him in her mind.

"After I killed that damn fox face, Aizen forcefully took out your hollow…"

Her eye steeled over, refusing to show what she felt underneath; the guilt and regret she's held in her heart for so long was swimming in strong currents, crashing at the sides uncontrollably.

"…In my time, you are known as Shirosaki Hichigo, Lieutenant of Captain Commander Sosuke Aizen."

She saw the ginger headed shinigami freeze.

She had always wondered what his reaction would be and her prediction was fairly accurate.

Even though the rest of the captains and lieutenants shared a look of pure shock, his reaction was the only thing that mattered to her. Having always relied on him, she was the reason why he had turned into a soul deprived hollow, and that was the biggest factor that caught at her heart.

"N-no way…"

She felt a hundred daggers rain down on her heart; seeing his face, seeing his expression, seeing the pain, panic and fear. It killed her all over again.

_'I'm sorry, Ichigo'._

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The meeting was dismissed and the respective captains and lieutenants returned to their barracks and duties with a heavy heart.

Rukia watched the retreating backs of the captains and lieutenants, for once, her mind completely blank. She just couldn't bring herself to calculate her next move when they were so close.

So close and _alive_.

As she went past the doors, her senses immediately went back on alert when she felt a hand looming over her shoulder; she slammed the figure into the First Division Barrack walls, katana already unsheathed and held at the person's neck.

Her eyes widened a fraction when she met with honey-golden eyes.

"Ichigo"

She immediately stepped away and sheathed her sword. She couldn't believe how distracted she was, she would of have died by now if she was in her time, or at least gotten critically injured.

Before she could create more distance between them, Ichigo reached out with his well sculptured arms and clutched her shoulder. Sea of gold gazed softly at steely amethyst when he felt her tense under his hands, there wasn't much of a barrier when they had first met on that night in his room, but he felt the unknown barrier blocking him from reaching out to her heart.

Rukia felt his searing hot hands through the haori, through the shihakushou and through her cold skin, she couldn't remember the last time something of life had touched her.

"Rukia…"

Her breath hitched at her name leaving his lips, it's been so long since he'd called her that; so long since it's been Ichigo Kurosaki speaking and not his hollow counterpart.

Ichigo gently squeezed her shoulder before letting his hand drop back to his side.

"Don't lose this chance… If I could meet mom again, I'd like to tell her things I wasn't able to say. So that way, even though she's not there in the end, I won't hate myself for holding back."

Rukia sometimes hated how well he knew her. Even with this infinite gap between them, he could still read her like an open book. Then and now, though she tried to build up walls of unbreakable defense, Ichigo Kurosaki was the only person who could see the tiny cracks and chips and make his way into her heart.

Then and now, he was always her savior.

And Rukia couldn't help but miss the warmth of his hand and the brightness of his smile.

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_To be continued..._

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Thank you all.

And just to answer nuABO96's questions:

**Q: Kon calls Rukia nee-sama; Rukia calls Byakuya nii-sama?**

A: Nee-sama = older sister, nii-sama = older brother. (Both said formally due to 'sama').

**Q: Who was looking at Ichigo as he was having a staring contest with Rukia?**

A: I made it quite self-explanatory ^^;;. It was Orihime if you didn't know  
**Q: So, when it flashed brightly, future Rukia was there?**

A: Yes .  
**Q: What does Garra Felino mean?**

A: Cat's Claw…. Although I did Google Translate it… so translations might be dodgy.  
**Q: Why did future Rukia say Aizen's name when she saw Ichigo?**

A: Don't think I answered the question here, it's for future chapters .**  
Q: When she says 'as sharp as ever nee-chan' that's talking to Soifon?**

A: Yes.**  
Q: The scene where Joushiro died, future Rukia is thinking back on past memories right?  
**A: Yes, the large sections of italic are flashbacks, I've put the headers (Flashback) and (End flashback) incase others got confused .

Thank you to: TKY363, StarPrincess999, XxGryffindor LionessxX, xXNiNaXx, SAS.363, Kazeshini99, sayap hitam, nuABO96 and HeadPhoneOrgy for your comments :D.

_~Peace, M._


	4. Flower of the Rabbit

**Disclaimer: Owns the plot. Not Bleach.**

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_(Recap)_

"_Rukia…"_

_Her breath hitched at her name leaving his lips, it's been so long since he'd called her that; so long since it's been Ichigo Kurosaki speaking and not his hollow counterpart._

_Ichigo gently squeezed her shoulder before letting his hand drop back to his side._

"_Don't lose this chance… If I could meet mom again, I'd like to tell her things I wasn't able to say. So that way, even though she's not there in the end, I won't hate myself for holding back"_

_Rukia sometimes hated how well he knew her. Even with this infinite gap between them, he could still read her like an open book. Then and now, though she tried to build up walls of unbreakable defense, Ichigo Kurosaki was the only person who could see the tiny cracks and chips and make his way into her heart._

_Then and now, he was always her savior._

_And Rukia couldn't help but miss the warmth of his hand and the brightness of his smile._

_

* * *

_

Walking down the white corridors of the Fourth Division barracks, Rukia smelt the faint lingering scent of medicine in the air and couldn't stop herself from lightly smiling when the smell of the said medicine wasn't accompanied by the smell of blood and agony.

Thinking back to when war had waged over Soul Society, no one had the time to utter a sigh before being ordered to the front. With new budding shinigami's going in to battle, weak willed shinigami's would of have died the second they reached the battle grounds, with enemies and comrades alike trampling over their fallen forms, never to be remembered. Only few ever survived, and even then, they would've transformed to true killing machines, never to be able to wash the blood off their hands.

With innocently pale faces covered in a mask of crimson, pearly white teeth would reveal through an ear to ear grin and as swords stroke down to slice the opposing enemy, eyes glowed with newfound fascination.

Seeing Soul Society rapidly unravel before her eyes, Rukia pondered on the war that had paved blood and hell for the new generation.

War brought out the worst in humans; dead or alive, and though fighting the advancing demons to stay alive was crucial, one had to constantly struggle to control the same demons within. In history's records of wars that had taken place over the years, they never mentioned the fight every soldier had to go through in order to control the rising spite. It was so easy to simply kill; however, preventing oneself from getting devoured by evil, hatred and anger was much harder.

With bodies falling around her; comrades and enemies, she had felt the same demon rise in her, wide eyes filled with shattered idealism darted from the river of blood that seeped through the soil to her trembling blood stained hands.

She felt her vision go red as frustration and rage boiled in her blood, she wanted to scream and tear and main those who had dared to hurt her loved ones, who had dared to sully her home. With teeth clenched in an almost painful grit, the white- knuckled grip on her sword loosened. Feeling the poison of rage disperse through her system, she had realized that she was soon going to spiral into a whirlwind of blood and hate.

Fear had dawned.

When something brushed against her shoulders, gears started to move in a habitual manner of survival, a dainty hand reached out for the hilt of her katana and pivoted her body to slice the neck anyone who dare tired to ambush her.

The hall filled with silence as light reflected off of the blade, even the complaining Eleventh Division Shinigamis stood still as they looked on to the scene that was unfolding.

Heart started to beat rapidly, pumping adrenaline through her veins as abnormally large canines showed through gritted teeth, with once gray-violet eye glowing a magnificently luminescent shade of silver.

Eyes travelled along the column of a white sleeved arm before landing on a familiarly soft face.

"U-Unohana-Taichou!"

Slender arms sheathed the sword in a blinding speed and Rukia was immediately bowing in front of the older shinigami. She cursed herself for letting the older shinigami see the monster that had resided within her, with keen insight, Rukia guessed that it wouldn't be long before she knew.

"Deepest apologize."

Delicate hands reached out to prop Rukia out of her bow, with eyes closed in a knowing smile, Unohana Retsu dropped her hands to her sides and spoke, her soft voice bouncing off the white walls of the hospital wing.

"I believe you wanted to see me, please follow me to my office Kuchiki-san."

The older woman's intuition was so accurate it sometimes scared her; in the future and the past. As Rukia followed behind her, she kept her eyes on the ground, thinking back to when Unohana had addressed her with the noble's name.

She left a baffled wing in her wake, eyes staring at the back of her curvaceous form. And by no doubt, she presumed, they were staring at the white stitching on her black haori, looking at the number six that seemed to glow in a sea of black.

* * *

With room brightly lit and pleasantly warm, Rukia walked into the humble office of the Fourth Division Captain and felt nostalgia wash over her in calming waves as she reminisced on memories.

In her time, she was scared that all she could ever do with her two small hands were taking the lives of others, those who smiled and laughed, and those who cried and wept, enemy or not.

Scared of knowing herself as only the one who took life, she volunteered herself to go under the teachings of the Fourth Division, Retsu Unohana; and she learnt to save them as well, so that somewhere in her heart, she could give herself a reason for existing in this detestable world.

"Please take a seat Kuchiki-san."

"Ano… Unohana-Taichou, please just call me Rukia."

Sitting down, she was taken completely by surprise when Unohana softly laid her hand on Rukia's and gave it a light squeeze.

"Rukia-san…"

Rukia couldn't help but smile softly, feeling happiness wash over her when she called her by her given name. Just like she had in the future.

"… We apologize for leaving you with such a heavy burden on your shoulders. I don't know what exactly happened, but it's the responsibility of us elderly ones to ensure that the younger ones never have to go through something as horrific as war…"

Retsu shifted her eyes to the large leather eye patch that was covering her right eye.

"…And it's unfortunate that you already have and more. I don't know if we can even ask for your forgiveness."

Body went rigid as mind went blank, lips that were drawn in a smile was now gaping in bewilderment. Rukia hadn't ever thought of it as a burden, maybe the entity of evil or even the inevitable apocalypse, but never had she thought of it as a burden. With blood rain pelting down on the ground beneath her, she only had one thought running in her mind every time she charged to the battle field.

Survival.

But when her teacher had uttered those words, Rukia felt as if a colossal rock was dropped down on her heart. Even if she were to blame them, it was too late now, the things she's seen, the tears she cried and the blood that was shed, all these could never rewind, no matter how much people beat themselves over it.

"I apologize Unohana-Taichou, but I'm afraid I can't forgive you even if you asked for it."

Retsu gazed at the war-torn shinigami in front of her, staring deeply into her lone eye; she tried to look for the idealism and innocence that she saw every time she would bump into the younger Rukia Kuchiki. She felt her heart grow heavy when she couldn't find any traces of the once naive subordinate of Joushiro. She took back her hand and rested them on the desk.

"You seem to be more comfortable here Rukia-san."

Rukia let out a small laugh, her rich voice filling the room in the process.

* * *

"_Don't lose this chance… If I could meet mom again, I'd like to tell her things I wasn't able to say. So that way, even though she's not there in the end, I won't hate myself for holding back"_

_

* * *

_

"Yeah… what can I say, a certain strawberry knows how to give fine speeches."

Retsu let out a small laugh and got up from her chair, an action that had confused Rukia.

"If I had called you by your first name in the future, I presume that we're quite close, mind helping me out in the hospital?"

A broad smile split over her smooth face as Rukia followed behind her teacher.

* * *

She couldn't explain it, the feeling that had occupied her heart at that time in the hospital. Having experienced a heavier load of incoming patients, Rukia worked swiftly to those who needed attention and kept company for those who were bed-ridden.

Rukia was in such high spirits that she didn't mind the flinching of skin under her cool hands, or the scared gazes that her patients sneaked her way. She couldn't blame them, after all, she came from a war-torn future, which usually meant that those same icy hands would of have maimed and hacked at living flesh.

Softly bandaging the arm of an unseated officer, she thought back to a time of endless struggles and pain. She did learn under The Retsu Unohana, however in the future, the Fourth Division Captain had died during a medical mission, even more so earlier then the death of her Shiro-tousan.

Their lessons having been unfinished, the best Rukia could ever do was prevent people from dying of minor wounds. Thinking back, she hated her weakness, never being able to help her friends, or even herself for that matter.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_It was ridiculous how even the cells were pure white; she hated how they stay untarnished while inside her heart, a storm was brewing. _

_Eyes looked at the fellow shinigami's who shared the same prison as her, worn-out violet irises moved from face to face and saw some who were recognizable and some unfamiliar._

_With the silence so thick in the air, Rukia thought that she would go insane before the ear-splitting creaking of an opening door made her pivot her head to the left._

_A small, battered body was carelessly thrown into the middle of the stone, cold tiles and the door screeched again to close. Rukia saw blood starting to pool near the newcomer's head and feet; she tried hard to focus her eyes before they got wide._

_She forced her tired body to get up and move towards the victim._

_"Soifon-nee… Soifon-nee!"_

_Crimson droplets trickled between the finger valleys and dropped to mold with the rest of the pool of blood as Rukia tried to turn over Soifon's abused body. With her proud Mobile Corps Uniform ripped and tattered, Rukia rested Soifon's head on her lap and felt hot tears brimming the corner of her eyes as she saw endless amount of blood gushing out from the horizontal wound made on the stern faced captain of the Second Division. _

_Rukia fumbled with her hands and leaned over to her legs, slightly turning them to see deep gashes carved where the foot tendons would have been. A wave of rage rushed through her blood as her pupils dilated._

_She got up and ran towards the door, sneering at the back of the guard that was visible through a small iron-bared pane. "Soifon-Taichou needs immediate medical attention! Save her you bastards!"_

_That was before the guard swiftly turned to her, beady red eyes looking at her through the slits made from its mask, all it did was sneer._

_"Save her? My, you must have thrown you pride away if you're asking the enemy for help, don't worry, Szayel-sama made it so that the shinigami wouldn't die, be happy girl."_

_Knuckles started to turn white and ache as the grip got tighter, the iron-bars being the only barrier between her butchering that damn smirk off that face._

_**"****You bastards! Save her godamnit! She's going to die if we leave her like this!"**_

_"Then. Too. Bad"_

_Whatever was left of her wavering and gravely chipped iron hold crumbled into little, little pieces eyes dancing with flames of rage that was near-taking over her body._

_The shinigami's present looked at her with pained eyes as they saw her starting to beat the stone door with her bare fists while yelling profanities above her lungs, only restraining her when they started to see blood starting to trickle down between the tile cracks._

_"Stop! Kuchiki-san, please!"_

_It took all the cell mates to restrain her, holding her arms back from doing anymore damage to itself, they let go as Rukia fell on her knees in front Soifon, who was barely recognizable through the puddle of blood forming beneath her._

_"S-shit."_

_Bruised and bleeding hands ripped at the black material of her robe as Rukia started to apply pressure to the wounds, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Hands glowed a cool azure shade as they worked to heal the deep wounds as much as possible._

_Observing the painfully slow healing process, Rukia bit her lips in frustration and started to taste metallic liquid on her tongue, it aggravated and confused her how things had gotten like this, and she cursed herself for being so weak._

* * *

_Second Division Captain and Secret Mobile Corps Chief, Soifon, had managed to survive; just barely._

_But with the reward of life, she sacrificed the ability to see. Her once prideful shining irises where never to be seen, forever covered behind draped white ugly bandages at all times._

_The once master of flash was never to walk and feel the ground beneath her feet again. Being forever bound to a wheelchair._

_(End of flashback)_

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* * *

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"Are you alright Rukia-san?"

The soft melodic voice of her teacher ringed in her ears and brought her back to reality. Violet-gray iris that was dull and deprived of life shone back in realization.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you for asking."

Finished with bandaging, Rukia got up to move onto the other patients before Retsu stopped her with a soft hand on her arm.

"It's fine Rukia-san, I can take it from here, why don't you catch up with the others, I'm sure you miss them very much."

Her Intuition really did scare Rukia sometimes, but she felt happy that she knew her so well; past and future. Hadn't Retsu been her teacher, she would of have called her Tsu-kaasan. Her and Shiro-tousan, the two seniors had held one of the biggest roles in her life, and she wouldn't of have had anyone else fill the vacant spot in her heart than the two.

She secretly released a sigh of relief at Unohana's dismissal, because she really wanted to meet with the rest of the shinigamis, she didn't know how long she could stay in this serene past of hers and was motivated by that strawberry to actually make something out of this unimaginable miracle.

"Thank you."

She quietly bowed to the Fourth Division Captain, with her black haori flapping behind her gracefully; she pondered on what she would say if she ever caught up with her friends and headed out towards the door, leaving a quite hospital wing in her wake and the stare of the senior captain on her back, even until it had disappeared and the doors had already closed.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Edited.**_

_**R&R**_

_**~M**_


	5. Sword Eight

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, owns plot.**

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_(Recap)_

_She secretly released a sigh of relief at Unohana's dismissal, because she really wanted to meet with the rest of the shinigamis, she didn't know how long she could stay in this serene past of hers and was motivated by that strawberry to actually make something out of this unimaginable miracle._

_"Thank you"_

_She quietly bowed to the Fourth Division Captain, with her black haori flapping behind her gracefully; she pondered on what she would say if she ever caught up with her friends and headed out towards the door, leaving a quite hospital wing in her wake and the stare of the senior captain on her back, even until it had disappeared and the doors had already closed._

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Roaming the familiar streets of Seireitei, with the wind softly licking at her skin she couldn't remember a time of such peace. After the war had started, she hadn't stayed in Seireitei for long, always fighting on the battle field; she eventually got captured and was held in Aizen's cell, waiting for a much crueler end.

Stopping to think of all those who had gone to the battle field with her, a wave of nausea washed over her as she felt her heart drowning in pain.

She had adapted to war at a frightening speed, and trusted her past self to endure the harshness of the future and evolve from it. Thinking of the flow of time, she guessed she'd have to return sometime.

But god she didn't want to.

How could she seek back the future she so fiercely cursed? How could she want to go back to those cold stone walls that stayed untainted while outside those same walls, her comrades were dying to conquer them? How could she want to go back to a place where the life clocks of all her loved ones had already depleted?

So many had died in that war.

Her friends.

Her comrades.

Her family.

Her lover.

On those cold rainy days of war, never had she felt the warmth of the sun licking her skin. When their battered bodies were laid before her feet, a smile gracing their face as if to tell her that everything would be fine, she cursed the sun for disappearing from her life, from their life. To think that the bitter cold and darkness were the only things to greet her loved ones as they died, had made endless rain pestle down on her heart.

How?

_How?_

She didn't want to give up this miracle for the greater good. In her heart, where evil and darkness lurked, she wanted to be selfish and hoped to god that she never went back.

With the weight of the world tugging at her already burdened heart, she slowly made her way towards the Thirteenth Division Office, tracing her lone eye along the soft ripple in the pond, her gaze never left the face of Joushiro Ukitake, watching as he fed the carps. She felt short breathed when she thought of the possibility to talk to him, see him, and feel him. The one who had acted as a strong pillar in her heart, taking the role of a father figure in the vacant seat.

"Ah, ohayo Rukia-san, a great day for a stroll isn't it?"

The wind blew softly through whitened hair and brought a soft smile upon thin sickly lips.

"How are you feeling Ukitake-Taichou?"

Sincere worry was shining through the lone pool of gray-violet, staring at the thin frame of her Shiro-tousan, Rukia mentally sighed at how such a frail body would of have survived on those battlefields. With bright, bright crimson staining the once unblemished white haori deeply with blood of his comrades and enemies, Rukia bit her tongue when she actually felt a small twinge of relief somewhere in her heart, somewhere at the very dark corners of her heart.

Maybe…

Maybe it was a good thing her Shiro-tousan died before facing the battlefield.

She knew it was a terrible thought to have. She loved her father so much, how could she ever _thank _the gods for taking him when night after night, she'd curse them for playing with her in a cruel game called life and death.

But…But thinking of her father in the midst of all the chaos, in his already weak state, she just didn't know what to feel anymore. After all, no one deserved to die by the hands of an enemy.

'_No one.'_

"I guess I'm still sickly as ever in your time, ne Rukia-san?"

No. The Joushiro Ukitake she knew would never be so unperceptive.

Maybe he was trying to lighten the atmosphere that always seemed oppressed whenever they were together.

"No… you've been healthier than ever in my time, however, it never stopped people from worrying over you"

And there she did it again, feigning that godamn innocence she had already thrown away years ago.

Ukitake slowly reached out for his ex-subordinates hand, doing so cautiously and slowly so that she saw his movement and intention. He gave a small smile when she didn't resist and lifted her hands up.

Rukia had seen his hand. Slowly moving for hers and just stared as he lifted them, she stared in puzzlement when he placed a small decorated bag.

Bringing the hand to her eye, she smiled when she saw what was in them.

Back in her time, she used to spend leisure time visiting Shiro-tousan at Ugendo, his family's estate and even at times, whenever he was healthy enough, they would take strolls throughout Soul Society

Looking at the fish feeds in the red, flower decorated bag, memories of times when the two had spent their afternoon feeding the carps came back to her.

Reaching in and scattering them in the pond, Rukia looked on as small ripples formed when the carps came up to the surface to feed.

"Thank you, Ukitake-Taichou."

Soft sea green eyes gazed sideways to look into a lone pool of gray-violet. It may have not been the way he had prayed for, and in fact it was so far from it. He had no doubt that the future was a reincarnation of hell and that there was a tragic story behind her missing iris and the captain's title she had earned. However, seeing how she had endured; _what_ she had endured, he was proud by the fact that she was still genuinely Rukia.

Keeping true to her heart and never letting darkness and evil overwhelm her.

"Any time Rukia-san."

"Ne! Rukia-chan, you should be of age now, care to share a drink with me?"

Ukitake and Rukia turned to face the new comer and Rukia's lone visible eye widened in surprise when she saw a very familiar flamboyant pink, flowered yukata that was accompanied by the trademark straw hat. Bowing deeply, Rukia greeted the visitor.

"Good morning Kyouraku-Taichou."

Shunsui Kyouraku sweat dropped at the show of such formality and brought his hand up in defense, showing his uncomfortable position.

"Such a beautiful lady like yourself is so casual with Joushiro but so formal with me, you break my heart Rukia-chan."

Straightening back up, she stumbled on how to respond to the senior's shameless flirting before Joushiro stepped in, seeing the obvious distress.

"Kyouraku, she may be older than our Rukia, however compared to you, she's still too young."

Rukia couldn't hold back the small laugh that was dying to burst through her small plump lips, to this day; she's never been able to deal with blatant flirting. She just didn't handle the bluntness too well. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she was able to laugh like that.

"Well well, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I borrowed her, do you Rukia-chan?"

The corners of plump, pink lips drew up to show a small smile.

"Of course not, I'm privileged to be invited."

An ear to ear grin stretched across thin haired cheeks. Mirth danced brightly in his grey eyes as they stared at Joushiro's little subordinate.

"Ho ho, Rukia-chan sure grew up a lot."

"I'll have to decline Kyouraku, drinking wouldn't be good for my health."

Rukia glanced towards her sickly superior, wrinkles forming between her thin eyebrows in worry, her eye clouded over with concern.

"Please don't push yoursel-"  
"Don't worry Rukia-chan, Casanova-kun over there can't be tamed that easily!"

A pink yukata sleeved arm linked themselves through a black haori sleeved, slender arm. Pulling the ample body of the time-traveler softly to his side, Kyouraku pivoted his head slightly to show a large cheeky grin to a surprised Rukia.

"You know where to find us if you get lonely, Joushiro!"

Running off with the ex-subordinate in his arms, the fluttering of a pink, flowered yukata around the corner of the gate was the last thing he saw as Joushiro stood dumbfounded at what had just happened.

Letting out a deep chuckle, a thin arm that was raised in alarm was once again at his side. Deep lime irises stared back to the pond of carp and watched the reflection bare a large smile.

* * *

Completely taken back by the sudden contact and movement, Rukia couldn't put up much of a struggle. As the two were walking down the path towards the 11th Division Barracks, Rukia stole a side glance to the superior who was strolling down next to her, seeming as if he didn't mind the world.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_There was no way of winning against them._

_**Absolutely no way.**_

_Yamamoto's side had already experienced heavy loss in rooks and with the loss of their King, the remaining pieces could all but crumble in the face of the opposing King. _

_Time was the only obstacle._

_Though her hands were trembling violently, Rukia clutched her hilt as sternly as she could, to lose your sword during a war is suicide, and she didn't feel like dying just yet._

_But she was scared._

_Looking at those daunting endless pits of red that had surrounded her, she felt like she could drown in them. Even though she knew there was no chance of her winning against them, death made you delusional, and she couldn't help but believe that she could drive her sword down those damn white masks, which managed to stay untarnished while the battle field was blanketed in red with the blood of her comrades._

_Why did it have to come to this?_

_All those souls who didn't want to be a part of this war; who couldn't even **imagine **being in this war._

_Weren't they allowed to have a say in this?_

_Voices ringed in her head, buzzing in her ears and clouding up her mind._

_She heard them so clearly._

_'Why is this happening?'_

_'It hurts! Someone save me!'_

_'Mom! Dad! I'm sorry! I'm **sorry!'**_

_They were so loud; all shouting out through tired and broken voices that would have been muffled by the screaming of bloodshed._

_But it was the words cried by many others that seemed to have penetrated in the sea of cries._

_'I don't want to die.'_

_'I don't want to **die!'**_

_Rukia wanted to cry, she wanted to be able to see the faces of her friends again; to yell at them whenever they insulted her chappy drawings._

_Because, after all…_

_She didn't want to die either._

_As the Vasto Lorde's started to form red energy orbs of cero, she gritted her teeth and bit her tongue; tasting the metallic liquid fill her mouth. _

_She was going to die._

_She was going to **die.**_

_But it was inevitable, and even though the constant empty darkness scared her endlessly; the other side of her heart was furious that they had come this far, that they had **allowed **it to go this far._

_She was going to end this war._

_Or die trying._

_Cero aimed at her and blinded her vision with red light before a tall, broad figure stepped in front of her and blocked the attacks with the whole of his body._

_"Kyou…Kyouraku-Taichou!"_

_She could barely say his name through her trembling lips._

_A savior…_

_**Her **savior._

_As strong arms of the captain pulled Rukia into depths of warmth, the Twelfth Division Captain embraced the younger shinigami; tightening his hold when he felt the frail form trembling violently. He was sorry and knew that it wouldn't be enough._

_It was the duty of the higher ups to ensure that no one would have to experience something as horrific as war._

_For Rukia._

_For everyone._

_But they had failed. And feeling the petite girl constantly trembling, he felt angry at himself for being so useless in stopping this._

_Tears of frustration and humiliation at her own weakness started to run freely down her cheeks and blurred her vision; she could barely make out the soft smile that was formed by the man's lips._

_"Ne, Rukia-chan, don't cry. If Joushiro finds out that I made you cry, he'll kill me. Now run along, a battle field is no place for a lady"_

_The world stopped._

_What did he say?_

_Words were barely registering in her head, too overrun by the shock._

_He wanted her to **leave? **To just **leave** him here?_

_Seeing the hesitation and confusion swimming rapidly in her eyes, Kyouraku gave a small push by her shoulders. He gave her his most charming smile and nodded to her._

_As if promising that everything would be alright._

_And she ran._

_Never turning back to spare a glance at her knight in shining armor._

_She had no idea what was going on; what she was **doing. **His slight push had encouraged a spark of cowardice in her heart and she had started running; her legs just moving on their own. Maybe she would pay for leaving him to die there, but when the time came, she'd accept it whole-heartedly._

_And perhaps sometime later, in the safety of a desolate room, she could afford to say a silent prayer for his soul. But later is not now and she pretends it doesn't matter, that nothing really matters anymore, even when the smell of freshly spilt blood invades her nose._

_She skidded to a stop and snapped her head back in his direction; eyes wide and scared like a deer caught in the headlights._

_"What have I done..."_

_(End Flashback)_

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* * *

_

"Rukia-chan, you okay?"

His husky voice interrupts her thoughts and brings her back to reality.

"Just fine."

Rukia gave a small smile and nodded, continuing to walk forward, eyes drawn to the ground. It was after his death, that she realized, that they never really knew each other much, it had pained her more when she thought of his sacrifice for her.

"Ne, Rukia-chan..."

She turned towards him, waiting for him to speak.

"Smiling so vacantly, it makes my heart heavy; a lady should always smile with love. Ne? Pretty Rukia-chan."

Rukia came to a halt at his words, taken aback; she stared at his retreating back as he walked past her. She finally understood. For years she wondered how he could so simply give away his life for her, despite not being able to spend enough time to get to know her.

It was just how Kyouraku Shunsui was.

A small, sincere smile graced her lips as she started to walk again, following behind the Captain, unaware of the same small smile that was gracing his lips.

"Here we are."

Rukia tore her eye away from the black stitching of the Eighth Division, and turned to face the wide open gates of the Eleventh Division Barracks.

Despite seeing the surprised faces of the few squadrons there, she didn't mind, not anymore.

"Good morning Kyouraku-Taichou! And K-Kuchiki Rukia-Taichou."

She paused at the honorific; she didn't actually expect anyone to call her by her title, never less the shinigami's of the Eleventh Division.

"Just Rukia will do."

"Where might Zaraki-san be?"

Kyouraku stepped inside as Rukia followed suit. The shinigami's looked at each other. Had the Eighth Division Captain been alone, they would of have told him without hesitation, but with the new superior with him, they felt slightly sorry for her. It was obvious that their captain would be interested in a match with her. And trailing their eyes along her curves and frame, they predicted that he would snap her like a twig.

"He's at the Division Match Grounds."

Rukia noticed their hesitation and spared a quick glance at Kyouraku.

She had always thought he was cunning, and he didn't disappoint. She didn't doubt that he truly did want to spend time with her, however he had thought of going as far as killing two birds with one stone by making her reveal the level of her power, knowing fully well that Zaraki Kenpachi would be curious enough of Soul Society's new comer to start a match.

Truly impressive.

"Shall we go Rukia-chan?"

Biting back a small grin that was threatening to form on her lips, she smiled and followed behind him.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_Scars that were adorning his torso could barely be seen through the crimson liquid that had dried and became a layer of brittle red. With his giant figure standing smack in the middle of the screen, a single steely violet iris looked up from the white, spotless ground and observed the man._

_"He has come out to die, that beast of a man."_

_She sneaked a side glance at the spectators._

_It was disgusting._

_What was the difference between them and herself?_

_Loyalty?_

_Friendship?_

_Such words didn't exist when faced with death._

_After being held prisoner by Aizen, some of their shinigami's had shamelessly and almost unhesitatingly converted sides. She guessed it was a given fact, after all they were all too young and death was something they had no wish of meeting. _

_Sporting the captains haori's over their straightened backs and standing in line to observe the struggle of the beast; they watched the feeble life of man vanish before their eyes with fascination. They thought him foolish to have put up a struggle and laughed as they observed through the big screen._

_Rukia scoffed._

_That's what anyone would say from the safety zone. For those who didn't want to die, it didn't matter what they had to sacrifice, they just didn't want to die. And she was just the same lowly shinigami, with her one uniform protecting her from death; she stared into the screen and bit down on her tongue until she felt the metallic taste of blood fill her mouth._

_He bled like any other shinigami, felt pain like any shinigami. Even though his body had been battered beyond all recognition; hair flattened by rain drops of blood, a deep gash going diagonally across from the corners of his face and his arms, that had held pride in being able to cut down all enemies who stood in his way, reduced to nothing but bloody stumps._

_She watched through a single remaining iris, with almost a demonic determination shining in his sharp eyes, teeth were holding firmly onto the hilt of his unnamed sword._

_"What a demon."_

_She had no doubt that Zaraki Kenpachi had heard it all from where he was cornered. She looked on and payed careful attention to Kenpachi, after all, she doubted that he would go quietly, it just wasn't his style._

* * *

_Thick wine-red blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth, mixing with the gaping wounds all along his body and soaking the white wrapping around his hilt. The humanoid figures of the Vasto Lorde's pausing in their fight to stare down at his pitiful state, _

_"You, Zaraki Kenpachi will be killed today"._

_'Not yet', Kenpachi thinks to himself. Breathing hard through the hilt clenched in his mouth, he glared down at the three figures that had cornered him in the middle of the Hueco Mundo desert._

_Kenpachi was **not** dead._

_And hell he wasn't going to die alone._

_As he thinks this he stops to listen to the ice-cold pain screaming through his body, damnit his body was killing him, but he wouldn't have it any other way._

_Pain was good._

_Pain meant he was still alive._

_His vision is blurry and red from all the blood trickling into his eyes. He could feel his insides quivering weakly, the slowing of his heartbeat, the sound of the dirt soaking up his blood in buckets. He felt it all._

_He realizes that his opponents were a little bit right; maybe he was in the middle of dying._

_But he's not dead yet._

_And that is a million miles of difference._

_More blood pours out of Kenpachi's wounds and seeps into the ground. Soaking the white sandy floor with bright, bright red._

_Get up, he tells himself, and feels irritated._

_'I'm not dead yet.'_

_Because Kenpachi had always believed that being alive means that anything was still possible, alive meant a world of endless possibility. Even if you're dying, life means that anything could still happen. The world can always change as long as you are there to change it._

_So long as you weren't dead yet._

_He ignores the numbing pain that is ripping at his jaws, clenching onto his hilt even harder._

_They've taken his arms, but as long as he could hold a sword **in any way**, he would still fight._

_Thinking about it, he cursed._

_'Damnit, how the hell am I supposed to put my bells on now.'_

_"Fighting even to the very border of death, how like you."_

_He smirks and listens to their taunts while breathing deeply, despite the hot-white pain ripping at his lungs every time he breathed, opening the deep gash in the middle of his chest wider and wider with every inhale._

_A mantra repeated itself over and over again and he came to the conclusion that he didn't feel like dying today. **Because alive meant possibility.**_

_"Cease your struggling shinigami; this is where your story ends."_

_Kenpachi ignores him and takes a step forward. He's not done yet._

_He takes another step forward._

_He laughs, and the pain finally starts to stop; it starts to get pushed back by something else altogether, something a lot like eagerness. He prepares to finish what has begun here today._

_Pivoting his head slightly, the chipped blade of his unnamed sword glistened under the light of the crescent moon._

_And he charges, feeling the wind hit against him softly._

_Because he was still alive._

_**And he would write his own ending, godamnit.**_

_**

* * *

**_

_"That monster."_

_Monster?_

_That's right; all those who survive and get cornered become ravaged monsters._

_It was hopeless, she knew, Rukia knew all too well, but she couldn't help but mentally applaud the Eleventh Division Captain for his futile bravery. _

_Seeing his vain struggle against the Vasto Lorde's, her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, so evidently trembling as she stares at his fight._

_Hearing all the taunts and scoffs from her fellow shinigami as they observed in amusement, she gritted her teeth in a painful clench and felt blood trickling between the valley's of her fingers._

_"Shut up."_

_The three audiences glanced her way, tearing their eyes away from the screen._

_"What did you say?"_

_With the air polluted with arrogance, she feared that she might suffocate from the shameless audacity._

_"I said…"_

_A lone iris snapped toward their direction and froze the three in fear. With the whites of her eye bleeding black, her eyes glowed a dangerous shade of silver._

_"**Shut. Up"**_

_(End of Flashback)_

_**.**_

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_**.**_

_To be continued..._

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**There it is.**

**A big thank you to: TKY363, StarPrincess999, XxGryffindor LionessxX, xXNiNaXx, SAS.363, Kazeshini99, sayap hitam, nuABO96, HeadPhoneOrgy and pauLinian4eVer for your comments .**

**You guys motivate me :D.**

**R&R!**

**: Oct. 10. 2010: Chapter flashback was edited. I just hated how I wrote Kyouraku's scene~**

_**~M.**_


	6. Son of the Winter Lion

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, however owning plot.**

**.**

**.**

**

* * *

**

_(Recap)_

"_That monster"_

_Monster?_

_That's right; all those who survive and get cornered become ravaged monsters._

_It was hopeless, she knew, Rukia knew all too well, but she couldn't help but mentally applaud the Eleventh Division Captain for his futile bravery. _

_Seeing his vain struggle against the Vasto Lorde's, her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, so evidently trembling as she stares at his fight._

_Hearing all the taunts and scoffs from her fellow shinigami, she grits her teeth in a painful clench and feels blood trickling between the valley's of her fingers._

"_Shut up"_

_The three audiences glanced her way._

"_What did you say?"_

_With the air polluted with arrogance, she fears that she might suffocate from the shameless audacity._

"_I said…"_

_A lone iris snapped toward their direction and froze the three in fear. With the whites of her eye bleeding black, her eyes glowed a dangerous shade of silver._

"_**Shut. Up"**_

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

_

Today wasn't his day.

_Thud._

Today just wasn't his day.

"Get up dumbass, don't tell me that's all ya got!"

The tanned, rough skin of the temple wrinkled to show the paths that were made by the bulging veins. Corners of lips that always wore an ear-to-ear grin were slightly slanted. With his whole facial muscles loosened visibly, the look on Zaraki Kenpachi's face just spoke for itself; _fuck me._

He glanced around the room through his single, beady eye. His non-existent brow gave a slight twitch when all his squadrons avoided eye-contact with him. Where were all his enthusiastic members again?

Oh right...

The cue-ball was too busy sleeping.

Yachiru was probably hanging out at that freakin' pansy-ass' mansion.

And what was that feather freak doing?

Research…

Kenpachi scoffed at the thought.

_'__Research, my ass.'_

By the small sound made by their fearsome captain, the squadrons shrunk in their crouched positions. If that bald fighting-idiot wasn't here, it meant that the beast's concentration was on them.

Not good.

"Come on, which one of-"

"-Ah, I thought we were invited for a sake party, Kenpachi-san."

He smelt something good in the air, bells jingled lightly as the Eleventh Division Captain turned to greet the new comers.

Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.

Raising his unnamed sword to his eye level, all Kenpachi had in his sight was the time-traveler who had the same title as that flower-using, pansy ass.

"Oi oi, perfect timing, I was just 'bout to get bored."

The tip of his jagged blade tilted slightly to point at Rukia, who had an impassive face, showing only a slight raise of her brow.

_'__Great, the girl takes after that pansy-ass of a brother.'_

Without any more hesitation, Kenpachi leapt towards Rukia with his sword raised above his head. Slashing down, the trademark grin was back in place when he felt her block against his blade with her sword still sheathed.

He was taken by surprise when he felt her push back at his blade with brute strength, sending him skidding across the polished floors.

Straightening up, he saw the corner of her lip slightly tug upwards, seeing the mirth dancing in her eyes, adrenaline pumped through his body.

'_Finally, some damn fun around here.'_

"Don't go easy on me Captain; I might just kill you."

The squadrons looked at her in fear and awe. She was either crazy enough to challenge their captain, or just insanely strong. The whole dojo felt a dangerous aura was rolling off of her ample figure in waves; they hadn't felt a killer intent that was equal to their captain's in a long time… if ever. But seeing the grown-up version of Kuchiki Rukia bearing a mocking smirk; they guessed that it was safe to say she was both.

The barbarically, deep cackle that rang throughout the dojo was deafened by the sound of metal clashing against wood, Rukia was yet to draw her sword; seeing both eye-patch wearers bearing a malicious grin, Kyouraku wondered if it was a mistake to bring Rukia here.

After all, he didn't want to explain to old man-Yamma why the time-traveler was dead and why they needed a new Eleventh Division Captain.

He took a seat among the squadrons and smiled casually when they straightened their backs in front of the higher authority. He dismissed them with a lazy wave of his hand.

"Relax; I'm just here to watch the fun"

The unseated squad members had to wonder if all captains shared the thirst for twisted entertainment.

* * *

In her younger years, when idealism was still in her heart, she always thought that battles had to have meaning behind them, that every time her hands held onto a sword to fight; she'd have to have an honorable reason for it. With the theory of supposed honor hammered into her head, she blindly followed out orders and executed the hollows, believing that it was a natural thing to do.

However, while struggling in a pool of deep crimson, Rukia came to realize that no matter how many times they'd had to repeat it in their heads, all it came down to was that they were killing pluses that had ultimately turned into jaded hollows due to their stubbornness.

After all, where were they when a soul was changing into a hollow? The transformation took time; months, even years. It was the shinigami's principal duty to get souls over to Soul Society. Yet, there were so many neglected souls that were left long enough to become hollows.

Rukia wondered if shinigamis even cared about souls, and with shame, even she had to admit.

Once they became hollows, shinigami's didn't remember, or rather didn't want to remember, that were once normal souls. All they saw in those beady eyes, through those deathly white masks, were monsters that needed to be exterminated.

Thinking of it like that… It was their entire fault… It was something that didn't just happen. They'd have to be thickheaded if they simply called it a tragic accident, a coincidence that involved so many souls.

But did that automatically mean that it was right to simply cut them down? That it would be in the hollows best interests?

…Ridiculous.

Where was she when their Chain of Fate was slowly corroding? When they were slowly losing their mind to the madness and emptiness? When they finally lost it…

Being constantly struck in the heart by blades of madness and war, reason and honor didn't mean a lot when you were slashing and dodging to survive. And despite what anyone said, shinigami and hollows alike were simply monsters, all who came to light from the results of a ridiculous war.

Trying to give any honorable reason behind it was only for those whose sanity was still intact. For those who could still blindly hack at another being with honor and duty shining in their eyes, but that person, was not Rukia.

Not anymore.

And maybe that was why she was participating in the match against the Eleventh Division Captain. Disgusted with herself for watching alongside those nameless shinigami's, she had promised herself that she would have at least one match with the fearsome blood knight, probably not in this life, but definitely in the next.

Plus, it's been too long since she's been able to exchange blows without the feeling of malice in her heart. She wanted to enjoy this as long as she could.

Rukia slowly drew her sword.

She would have to thank Kyouraku when she was done…

* * *

To say the least, Kenpachi was damn impressed.

The fact that he was being evenly matched against the Kuchiki princess was definitely something that would've never crossed his mind.

The furthest he's ever acknowledged her was as the younger sister of that pansy-ass noble. They hadn't interacted with each other that often, let alone encounter and Kenpachi came to the conclusion that, even if the chance was given to them, they wouldn't of have had any interest in each other. With such a small and fragile structure with equally small and fragile limbs, he had the feeling that he could snap all the bones in her body from just a flick of his wrist.

Now where was the fun in that?

But there he was, very much facing Kuchiki Rukia as an equal opponent.

Who would have thought?

Even now, looking at her body frame, he felt that he could slice her in two with just a swing from his sword. But damn, she had proven him wrong.

"Heh, don't kid around girl, you better start gettin' serious with me."

The feral grin that was always on his face twitched an inch wider as he saw her slowly draw her sword. He couldn't believe he was feeling such a strong current of thrill wash over him; the fight had barely even started.

"What's with that stance, Captain? Surely you're not going to let me go first, are you?"

The girl was taunting him, her lips stretched in a small smirk.

With a foot in front of him for a stable area of base, all the muscles in his body tensed by instinct and got ready for a heavy blow. He hated being in defense, but she was just so damn fascinating, he was willing to anything to prolong their fight.

He stared at the girl, who was a few feet away from him. Though her sword was drawn, her stance was casual; he felt irritation slowly make its way to his body.

"Oi, stop stalling and get to –"

Stopping in the middle of his sentence, his beady eye could barely follow her swift movement as she bounded directly to him; The girl had stretched her long limbs across the fair space between them in a single stride, and was now so close to him that a slight push could send her crashing into his chest; her calf muscles tightened as they carried out a smooth momentum from her body, her slim hand tightened its grip on the hilt of her sword as she swung for his neck. Mechanically, he blocked it with his sword; and gave an almost audible grunt due to the impact. Her bold movement having no traces of tactical planning behind them, simply pouncing and was challenging him with raw instincts.

'_Could today get any fucking better?'_

He begged to differ.

If he gave her the chance, she could probably do some serious damage.

'_Che, wouldn't have it any other way.'_

Blocking from a fatal swing, he pushed against her smooth blade and blinked in confusion when the pressure was gone and he swiped at air. Gears started to move rapidly as it clicked.

_Behind._

He side stepped and leapt away just as a glistening of silver was swung underhand. Where he had stood not too long ago, was an unbelievably deep gash that stretched from the foot of the Kuchiki noble -who was now standing upright and facing him- towards the end of the dojo, cutting across a small gap between the now-shaken squadron and Kyouraku –who was slightly dumbfounded by the force of her swing, and that she had managed to make a nick in his sakkat-.

The watching squadrons looked up at Rukia with dinner-plate eyes and started to sweat a fountain. An unmistakable demon's laugh started ringing throughout the dojo.

_What the hell was she?_

Kyouraku recovered from his momentary shock and stared at Rukia through solemn brown eyes while pinching at the cut made in his straw hat. He had already presumed that she could be on par with the present captains, if not stronger, and definitely outdoing her younger self. But this wasn't something he expected.

Stealing a sparing glance towards the unseated squadrons, Kyouraku knew that the look of fear in their eyes was not the fear he was thinking of. Though he honestly wondered why, he was pretty sure that they weren't strangers to buildings being sliced in half by their captain.

But it wasn't the fact that she managed to slice up half the dojo with just a one-handed swing; a one-handed _underhand _swing.

No.

It was the fact that in the middle of her blurry dance of erratic swings, he felt something spark inside of her; something that had managed to grapple at his heart with unease. Kyouraku looked over at Kenpachi and had no doubts that he noticed as well; he admitted with no hesitation, Kenpachi wouldn't be the most educated one out of the Gotei, but his animalistic instincts made up for it.

So accurately, that it was creepy.

* * *

They're fight had continued, it was like watching a match between Zaraki Kenpachi and Zaraki Kenpachi. Only thing was that one of them had an impressively curvaceous figure that Kyouraku wouldn't of have minded taking out to a captain's party.

Speaking of parties.

Where on earth was the sa-

"Sorry for being late Zaraki Tai…chou?"

The front doors of the dojo were swung wide open to let the brighter light of day to leak in. Excluding the two eye-patch wearers, the rest snapped their heads towards the sound and violently shoved down the temptation to groan.

The whole circus was here.

The Seventh Division lieutenant looked at the scenery in front of him through dark angular sunglasses; his deep, rough voice trailing off into silence. He clearly couldn't take his eyes away from the sight of the Eleventh Division captain, and the mysterious new comer grinding their blades in a silent showdown.

With a single eye from both ends staring down at each other with pure blood lust swimming around, Tetsuzaemon Iba was surprised that electricity hasn't formed yet.

"Ken-Chan! Are you having fun?"

A blur of pink dashed from behind bald fighting-idiot and up to rest on the shoulders of Kenpachi. The tension the two opponents had held through their blades had dissolved and was re-sheathed.

"There goes the mood."

Any traces of blood lust that had been present, disappeared from his voice. His once wide beady eye, which had held excitement, was now back to having their lazy gaze.

"You seem like a strong fighter, _Gantai-cha__n!_"

The squadrons, who had witnessed the minute share of strength from the new demon, looked at their lieutenant through terrified eyes. Wasn't it in human instincts to recoil when faced with doom?

But then again… the pink-haired doll _did _hang around Zaraki Kenpachi all day; it wasn't that much of a surprise now that they thought of it.

Gray-violet orbs blinked several times in slight surprise.

Eye patch-chan?

Rukia always knew that the little Eleventh Division Lieutenant was fond of giving out nicknames; she couldn't help but let out a small giggle through her plump lips, an action that had shocked the squadrons; while relieving the flamboyant captain.

And here, Kyouraku was worried that they would wring each other's necks. Witnessing the scene unfolding in front of him, he gave a small chuckle.

'_I knew today was going to be a good day.'_

"Finally the drinks for the party has arrived!"

The lieutenant of the Seventh Division snapped his head to the yukata-wearer and gave a low bow, the rest of the new arrivers following his lead behind him.

"Good morning, Kyouraku-Taichou!"

Tetsuzaemon, Ikkaku and Yumichika were all present as they should be, but he wondered where the other three were.  
"Ne ne, where are the res-"

"We brought watermelon, Taichouu~!"

The dojo, that had tried to salvage as much calm to compensate for the deep gashes and cuts across its four walls, was suddenly bombarded with a high pitched tone belonging to the busty, strawberry blonde Lieutenant of the Tenth Division.

Rich black waves of hair flowed behind her back as Rukia turned her torso so that she had a better view of the shinigami's who had just arrived.

Gray-violet met with soft aqua.

Watching calmly as it observed the lighter-colored eyes widening by a fraction. It was barely there, but faint traces of wariness had managed to shine through; she saw the equally curvaceous frame take a small step back as if slightly bracing herself with caution; Rukia couldn't help but feel her lone orb softening at the cautious expression.

Not everyone could be comfortable around her, after all.

"Sorry we were late."

Two more Lieutenants from the Third and Ninth Division had stepped out, accompanied by a captain, and joined the gathering that had managed to form out from a sparring match.

Kyouraku observed the intentions of the other younger captain; it was clear to him that the prodigy had come over to get to know Rukia or rather; get to know what she knew, despite hating gatherings such as this one.

"Don't you think you're a bit too young to start drinking, Hitsugaya-Taichou?"

Corners of thin lips tugged up in a small amused smile as Kyouraku observed the souring expression on the white-haired genius. He was obviously prepared to sacrifice his sanity for the sake of getting information on Aizen.

Remembering a few days ago, when she was first introduced to the Gotei, Kyouraku remembered her affectionately calling him 'Toushi-kun'. If they were close in the future, he was confident that she could read through the ice-wielder and have already dug out his motives. Stealing a side glance towards Rukia, Kyouraku had no doubts that she already knew what the Tenth Division Captain was seeking out by coming to such a rowdy party.

"I apologize, however I'm not here for the bitter drinks."

Piercing turquoise eyes held their gaze on to gray-violet, and Kyouraku had to stifle a chuckle from surfacing.

It seemed as though the young captain was also playing the observant game; already managing to figure out that his intentions was discovered.

He was truly a boy genius.

Kyouraku watched with immense amusement, and tried fighting back a large grin from overtaking his face when he saw Rukia bending down, grabbing a tray of sliced watermelons and quietly sashaying out with the Tenth Division Captain.

He didn't know who to thank for today's events.

* * *

He couldn't believe that people would drink sake even though broad daylight was still painted over Soul Society, especially the fact up that until now, no one had bothered to interrogate the time-traveler, who could have had endless amounts of crucial information.

This was no time to be partying, if that traitor had managed to take over Soul Society in the future, they should be doing everything they could to stop it from ever happening.

Sitting down on the smooth timber floors outside the dojo, Hitsugaya couldn't refrain himself from raising a thin white brow in confusion as the woman sat facing him.

She had brought a tray of sliced watermelons with her.

Rukia, clearly seeing puzzlement weaving through his delicate features, gave a small smile and picked up a slice before nibbling on the red nectar.

"It brought back memories."

Icy turquoise eyes snapped up from the slices to her eye, and felt fingers of iron wrapping themselves around his heart and squeezing it painfully. The sorrow of nostalgia had hit him full force and almost made him nauseas.

Why was she looking at him like that?

He forcefully tore his eyes away from hers and stared at the patches of green spring grass.

Rukia gazed softly at his actions and smiled vacantly.

"My eye makes you feel sad doesn't it? Just for some reason"

White hair rustled as Hitsugaya looked up at her again and bit back any words that were dancing on his tongue. He thought it would be easy; after all, it wasn't like he was friendly with the younger Kuchiki Rukia, and barely even knew this mysterious one in front of him.

But one glance into her endless-pit of an eye, and the words simply drowned.

He didn't know why, but he didn't want to dig into her old wounds. He knew how that felt like, and he hadn't enjoyed it.

Feeling the atmosphere turn gloomy, Rukia graced her lips with a broad vacant grin.

"Oishii! You were always good at picking out watermelons!"

Eyes widened a fraction at the rather loud outburst and even more so when a red watermelon slice was blocking his view.

"Try some!"

Without thinking, his hand moved forward and grasped the green skin of the fruit. His eyes dipped down to stare at the red juice sliding down the length of his pale fingers and drip from its valleys, not noticing the sad gaze that was directed at him.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_It was war, but word still managed to spread, everyone had heard about the brief fight that the Tenth Division Captain had with Aizen._

_Impaling your childhood friend with your very sword; trembling while staring at your hands that were painted in their blood._

_Staring._

_Just keep on staring. _

_Staring through blank eyes as you see the life getting squeezed out of their small frames._

_All the warm blood that flowed out of the wound you had made; just flowing and flowing in a beautiful river of crimson._

_**'Stop.'**_

_**'Stop bleeding.'**_

_**'He needs blood to live.'**_

_**'STOP IT!'**_

_It was the feeling of dread and horror that she knew all too well, something that no one should have to ever feel; to ever experience. _

_As her heart and soul slowly rotted inside those four colorless walls; as the fellow comrades who had shared her space slowly disappeared one by one._

_She grew tired of praying._

_She knew it was a stupid thing to do. _

_Why pray to the gods when you knew that they weren't listening._

_For countless days and nights, she prayed._

_She wanted to have hope._

_But suffering and anguish made good teachers._

_And in the end, they taught her that clasping your two small, blood soaked hands weren't going to help._

_Staring at those hands, past memories she tried to burry were resurfacing._

_'Kaien-dono…'_

_She wondered how Toushi-kun was coping._

* * *

_Thin manes of pink hair swayed as the Octava Espada turned his eerily amber eyes to the caged dragon. Irises slowly traced itself along the forms of the captured Tenth Division Captain. If he was such a genius, as they have said, then he wouldn't be there, glaring icily st him from behind those cage bars with a missing arm. _

_Hitsugaya stared at those amber irises and felt a shiver run down his spine. Those eyes were so empty and daunting, he could barely breath._

_His line of vision drifted down to the right side of his torso, growling in frustration at the vacancy of his limb. He snapped his head back when the scientist cackled._

_"A dragon is useless without its teeth as is a captain without his sword, the reason why you were defeated is because you are inferior, **shinigami."**_

_He felt his blood boil and just wanted to wipe that damn sneer off of that face. He growled and opened his mouth to retort but was cut off._

_"Aizen-sama gave me this tedious shinigami to play with-"_

_A sigh of discontent escaped from his lips; long and slender fingers rose to habitually push the rims of his hollow mask up._

_"But he promised that I could get more interesting specimens so..."_

_A limp body was tossed on to a steel table, hitting it with a sickeningly dull thud, the limbs being strapped down with leather straps._

_Turquoise irises widened at the body._

_"What… **What the hell do you think you're doing!**"_

_He angrily bolted up to grip the iron bars, despite his body having already worn out long ago. _

_He couldn't see anything but red; he was blinded by it._

_"Oh, that's right, this girl is precious to you isn't she? I must scold you though, it wasn't a nice thing to do; stabbing her like this, I like my specimens alive you know"_

_The throbbing of blood was ringing in his ears, he knew she was alive; barley, but still alive, and he was damn sure that the bastard knew as well. She didn't deserve this. She didn't do anything to deserve this godamnit!_

_Rage that had coiled itself into his body was now overcome with panic. A scalpel glinted maliciously in the ceiling lights and was dancing dangerously around Hinamori's limp body._

_Wide turquoise orbs followed the blade as it dipped down and ripped at smooth skin, a fountain of blood overflowing from the new wound. _

_He roared._

_He didn't hear it; all that was in his ear was a loud drone._

_But he felt it._

_He felt himself screaming, roaring, blaring._

_Felt his hand gripping the iron bars and felt the metal dig into his palm._

_Felt himself shaking furiously at the cage as rage rippled through his body._

_A new cut was made, and his roaring only got louder._

* * *

_A holler was heard throughout the prison cells, and bounced off the walls._

_Rukia snapped up from her sitting position and towards the door of her chamber, gripping the bars of the small opened pane, she started to yell._

_**"****What the hell is that bastard doing!****"**_

_But her yells fell on deaf ears and was drowned out by the cries of the Tenth Division Captain. Hot tears prickled at the sides of her eyes and flowed freely down her cheeks._

_Her back hit the door wall and slid down despairingly, crouching and pulling her knees close to her._

_Hands gripped at her ears and squeezed to try and block out the cries of her friend._

_'Stop.'_

_'Please **stop.'**_

_**

* * *

**_

_"I would be quiet if I were you, every cry that peeps out of that mouth of yours, will only add new scars to this specimen"_

_Szayel sneered as the room fell deathly silent, he glanced sideways at the corner of his eyes at the broken dragon, and raised his thin brow at the captain._

_He saw thin streams of blood making a path down the corner of parched lips, the crimson clashing almost violently with the deathly pale shade of his face; Szayel scoffed._

_So he bit down on his own tongue to stop himself from howling..._

_Interesting indeed._

_Looking down at the drastically paling face of the shinigami girl, and taking into account the silence that had befallen on them, Szayel was almost tempted to take back the comment made about the shinigami being tedious._

_This was **very **interesting._

_His grin broadened slightly._

_He would have fun tonight._

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

_

As years had gone by, Rukia and Toushiro had gotten close, getting to know each other over a tray of watermelons and talks of random topics to ease the tension in the air.

They had barely seen each other when the war had started and after that night, Hitsugaya Toushiro and Hinamori Momo had disappeared, no one knew how or where.

But she knew and couldn't bring herself to say it. The truth didn't seem to hurt as much if you didn't bring it out to light, and that's what she did.

Staring at the quiet form of her friend, she sighed.

"I know what you want to ask me. And I hate to admit, but Aizen is very intelligent."

She looked on at the swaying trees and birds chirping.

"After obtaining the King's Seal, he took several steps ahead of everyone and prevented any information of leaking out that would lead to his downfall; past, present and future."

The slices of watermelon were long since forgotten.

"I'm sorry to say, but any crucial information on being able to defeat Aizen has been purged from my mind, he saw to it personally."

Turquoise eyes glanced at her features; soft and delicate. Even until now, her purpose of being here seemed too much of a coincidence and he still had his suspicions.

"Don't be so guarded Toushi-kun, even though the rest of the captain's aren't, I'm very sure that Yama-jii is keeping a stern eye on me."

Slender fingers reach over to grab a slice of watermelon.

"Come on Toushi-kun! You always used to love watermelons in the spring!"

Hitsugaya froze for a quick second. It was true; he enjoyed watermelons the best during the springs, only because of the fact that the tranquil rich colors of nature calmed his heart.

Gaze softened and nibbled on the watermelon he had been holding, missing the small sincere smile that had graced the lips of the time-traveler.

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_To be continued…_

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**I've done a quick edit through the whole story, just minor ones.**

**Thank you to: TKY363, StarPrincess999, XxGryffindor LionessxX, xXNiNaXx, SAS.363, Kazeshini99, sayap hitam, nuABO96, HeadPhoneOrgyy, pauLinian4eVer, Ubernaut and violetLoVeR** **for your comments! **

**Much thanks and appreciation.**

**R&R**

_**~Peace, M.**_


	7. White Rotting Wood

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, however owning plot.**

'_thinking'_

"talking"

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* * *

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_(Recap)_

_Turquoise eyes glanced at her features; soft and delicate. Even until now, her purpose of being here seemed too much of a coincidence and he still had his suspicions._

"_Don't be so guarded Toushi-kun, even though the rest of the captain's aren't, I'm very sure that Yama-jii is keeping a stern eye on me"_

_Slender fingers reach over to grab a slice of watermelon._

"_Come on Toushi-kun! You always used to love watermelons in the spring!"_

_Hitsugaya froze for a quick second. It was true; he enjoyed watermelons the best during the springs, only because of the fact that the tranquil rich colors of nature calmed his heart._

_Gaze softened and nibbled on the watermelon he had been holding, missing the small sincere smile that had graced the lips of the time-traveler._

_

* * *

_

Rukia stared out the window from the corner of her room, gazing softly through her lone iris, watching silently as bright blue started to steadily spread through the night sky, the glimmering of the stars slowly fading and the sun rising over the horizons to continue its chase after the moon.

She couldn't deny the weightlessness her heart felt after being flooded with warm colors again.

She missed this.

She missed everything about this.

The colors, their smiles, their laughter and times of tangible tranquility that she had so dearly wanted to return to.

It was all here.

A small smile tugged on her lips, and she buried her head snuggly into arms that had held her knees close to her chest.

Being here for the past couple of weeks had made her soft, something that she would never have allowed herself if she was back in her time, but just this once…

Just this once.

She wanted to indulge in her own happiness.

Ears slightly twitched at the sound of the sliding of a door and even without lifting her head up, with the barely audible sound of shuffling feet, and the fragrance of fresh sakura blossoms wafting throughout the air, Rukia already knew who had come to visit her.

When sandaled feet came to a halt, Rukia breathed out a small empty sigh. The silence prolonged even after she had lifted her head, and felt steely gray eyes observing her every movement as she got up and straightened herself. She paused for a while before finally turning to greet him.

"Good morning, Byakuya."

She didn't miss the slight raise in his neat eyebrow; she knew what he was pondering about.

He gave a curt nod to show his recognition.

"…Kuchiki Rukia…"

There was hesitance in his voice, barely there, but Rukia knew him well enough by now and nothing escaped her observant eye.

She gave a small smile and lowered her eye to the floor, gray-violet looking distantly in to thin air.

"Actually… it's just Rukia now."

Eyes narrowed slightly. She looked back up to his stern face, tracing over delicate features. The unyielding gray eyes that she always used to get herself lost in, the long black hair that reminded her of a stallion's mane, the white kenseikan that had symbolized his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki family, the white haori that had signified his power as the Captain of the Sixth Division.

He was here.

Alive.

"… And I haven't called you nii-sama for at least fifty years now…"

His eyes widened ever so slightly but all Rukia did was give a soft smile, with her eye now closed, she slowly walked towards her title's predecessor, stopping only when she could feel the slightest of brushes from the shoulders of his captain's haori.

"…Hisana-nee-san…"

She heard the slightest ruffles made by fabric and knew that she had gained his full attention. Her soft smile still in place, she refused to make eye contact with him, knowing well that he would try and read them.

But she wasn't the young Rukia that had followed every beck and call; biting her lip every time ill words were spread about her around the manor, flinching every time she knew that she had disappointed her seniors. Following absent-mindedly the duty and rules of the shinigami, never questioning and never _thinking, _blinded by the justice that they had so often called it.

War and suffering made her learn of the reality beneath the deception; sometimes the truth had to be dug out, one would have to toil in the mud and the muck and even after getting so dirty; so tainted, the truth would decide to continue its play of hide and seek.

But Rukia guessed that luck had been on her side, she couldn't imagine how much more of torture she could put up with, waiting until she had found that truth.

After obtaining and coming to terms with reality, even if people had wanted to reach through the windows of her soul, even if they had wanted to see the same Rukia from years ago, they couldn't. Regretful to say, that Rukia ceased to exist a long, long time ago, she was never coming back and even if she had wished direly to do so, she had no place to come back to.

"… I want to see… Hisana-nee-san."

She finally opened her eye; steadily turning her head to meet greet grey irises. A river of velvet raven flowed behind her like waterfall as she tilted her head. Staring squarely into his eyes, it was an almost amusing sight.

Rukia was aware that she was probably like an open book in her youth, eyes reflecting like glass when her heart was troubled and sparkling when happy.

But the tables have turned now; it was now he who couldn't read her emotions, and her who could sing his like a song.

She saw his eyes searching into hers, holding their steady gaze into pools of emptiness trying to search for an answer, but she knew that he was never going to find one.

'_Sorry Nii-sama, the Rukia you know isn't here anymore…'_

_

* * *

_

_(Flashback)_

_It was seventeen years into Aizen's triumph over Seireitei, numbers of shinigami were depleting; some converted sides in order to survive, while others were hunted down in one of the favorite past-times of arrancars, 'catch the reaper'. It was almost a daily routine for those who had managed to survive and resist the temptation to betray their side._

_After being experimented on by that psychotic Octava, surviving shinigamis were released __out into the open plains of Hueco Mundo in a state of half drunken madness; decorated with a bright red ribbon around their neck to indicate that they were a target._

_The shinigamis had their own opinion on the game as well, calling the red ribbon, 'The collar of red death."_

_And to all those who stared true to themselves, it wasn't a matter of question now; nor was it even open to any debating or arguement._

_For even though they stood up for their honor..._

_In the end, they eventually met with dishonorable death._

_And that was the reality they all accepted.  
_

_But that was something Rukia didn't want to experience; death was death, there was no honorable death or a pleasant one, even though one may have sacrificed their life for another, they would have been taking equally that much of life from the people who would mourn over them. _

_And one thing that Rukia hated was making her precious people cry._

_Even if she would obtain corrupted power, even if she had to drown herself in darkness, she would do so in order to protect her precious people._

_And it was exactly what she did._

_She grinded her teeth every time she looked dead straight into framed amber eyes, ones that held grotesque fascination whenever scrawny fingers played out the usual process of injecting colorful, unnamed liquids into her right eye; grinding and grinding even after the dull pain had managed to seep into her jaws, firmly keeping them shut from screaming out profanities because of the hot fire that was spreading throughout her body. _

_Clenching her dainty hands into white-knuckled fists, even when she felt warm blood slide down in between the valleys of her fingers, to drop to the cold concrete floor; she never loosened her grip, her now lone iris glaring in silent rage as she agreed to work under the very man who had ruined her world._

_A man who was far more cunning than any other man she's ever met, a man who intended to crush her—one way or another._

_Reminiscing through her memories, she remembered a time when she was on patrol duty in the ruins of Seireitei, walking gingerly through the places that were once built up high and proud, a place where she made all her pleasant and sad memories with her loved ones. Panning her head around to see the carnage, the impact of war settled in her heart. In the darkness of the eternal night, she jolted and looked down when she felt herself kick something away, something made of metal. _

_Her lone pool of grey-violet gradually widening as they traced over the curves and swirls carved into the plate._

_She had just kicked the sign of the noble Kuchiki Clan._

_That was when she knew that he had purposely sent her here, to make those wounds fester where they rested in her heart._

_It had been years since the noble family had decided to abandon her and take back their adoption agreements. Rukia supposed that in the end, she was just too much of a commoner for the Noble Kuchiki Clan; a place where they held their nobility in high regard, some even higher than the lives of former human souls._

_Having come from the poor seventy-eighth district of Rukongai; having known how much people had toiled in their sweat and tears in order to live, she could never allow herself to stoop to such a low and humanely degrading level._

_Despite all this, the Kuchiki manor was still once her home, the very place that Byakuya and her sister had lived. She could never forget the feeling of soft timber floors beneath her feet, the faint scent of grass that was in the air._

_Kuchiki manor had once been her family._

_And Rukia couldn't help but feel her heart clench painfully as she realized that the ruined part of Seireitei she had been patrolling in, was in fact, the very ruins of the Kuchiki Manor._

'_Truly a cunning man.'_

_Whilst looking at the burnt wood and the sign of the Kuchiki clan tossed aside so carelessly, even though she had felt like crying; she couldn't. Her tears had already dried up a long ago and she refused to sing her sorrows, knowing that he would chuckle with mirth and urge her to sing even higher and longer; even as her voice got hoarser, he would urge her to sing until she was a broken, wingless bird who had been denied the freedom to soar away from this hell hole._

'_Truly a cunning man indeed.'_

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

_

Rukia never got a chance to give a proper farewell to her sister, let alone to Byakuya; after all, she had so naively believed that the war wouldn't prolong for long; that they would actually _win_. But after her former brother-in-law and sibling had been ripped away from her, she felt the poison of regret piercing her body.

All the words left unsaid, all the promises left unkept.

Had she had known that the downfall of Seireitei was going to be the conclusion of all their struggles; she would have taken the time to get to know them earlier all those years ago.

Lone iris shifted up from her knelt form and gazed at the framed photo.

She was beautiful.

Short, midnight hair had framed her small, delicate face that always seemed sickly pale; violet orbs with a hint of blue, held a soft gaze, sending waves of indescribable calm down Rukia's spine. A familiar strand of hair had positioned themselves in the middle of her face, only shorter and more frayed at the end. Her last photo captured her warm smile and Rukia felt bliss flooding her heart.

Her sister was so beautiful.

"I was meaning to thank you for fulfilling Hisana-nee-san's dying wish; I know it wasn't easy for you to go against the rules… against the whole of the Kuchiki Clan and well over one thousand years of tradition…"

Byakuya stared at the back of Rukia's knelt form, slightly narrowing his eyes and preparing his heart for what she might say next.

"…I'm sorry that I couldn't hold my end of the deal, but I was happy that we had maintained a good bond even after I was no longer your younger sister…"

Byakuya gave no reply, watching silently as she bowed in her knelt form, watching the back of her torso as she straightened herself again.

"…She's so beautiful, ne?"

Rukia never turned back to face him, he closed his eyes and gave a small grunt of approval.

"…I spent a lot of my days here with you, just looking at her. The elders were considerate enough to allow me inside so that I could see her..."

There was a long pause, Byakuya slowly opened his eyes and looked back to Rukia.

"Did I… abandon you..."

He saw shoulders stiffen slightly before they slumped down with a barely audible sigh, he's brow raised slightly in question when Rukia turned her body to face him. The only thing he was focusing on was the small tug in her lips of a sad smile.

"No… you tried to stop the elders from kicking me out… but eventually I agreed to walk out on my own… I've troubled you enough as it was."

He noticed the distant look in her eye.

"The cherry blossoms are always in full bloom here in Seireitei, ne?"

Byakuya turned to gaze out to the pink and white tinted flowers. So the Kuchiki elders had decided to unadopt Rukia sometime before the war, he also presumed that he had died. Her eye refused to open itself for him, but he could hear her emotions just as well from her voice. She sounded as if she had many regrets; those of things she had wanted to do and those of what she wanted to say, the chances all ripped away from her grip in the spiraling end of war.

"What have we been doing… while you were suffering like this?"

He's deep voice penetrated her heart, and Rukia could barely work up the nerve to tell him.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_"Ne Rukia-chan! Do you want me to save him?"_

_On a night so cold and dark, the gods have once again sent down rain to mark another death of a loved one. She felt her gut clench tightly as she stared up to the speaker, her eyes blurred from her tears and the rain; she felt helpless when she couldn't look anywhere except for the slits of his eyes._

_'Save him…'_

_'…Please save him…'_

_She cursed herself when she felt a small spark of hope ignite; with inky tresses fanning over her lap and mixing with the mud, she cradled the pale face of her dying brother-in-law in her trembling arms._

_**"…****Plea****se…"**_

_She choked and sobbed at her vulnerability, she just couldn't bring herself to say those three words._

_**'****Please save him.'**_

_The grin that was never-changing only broadened at the site below him, narrowed eyes opened to reveal bright sky blue irises dancing with amusement. She was a promising one, that Kuchiki Rukia, he's grin only widened at the thought. Oh, how silly of him, she was now nothing but a common rat; no longer a bearer of the Kuchiki name._

_He saw the hope kindle in her tearful eyes and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle._

_"Just kidding"_

_He felt glee burst through his heart when he saw her halt; he narrowed his eyes once again in amusement as he saw her clenching her jaw tightly._

_'Soon, anguish will settle.'_

_And she didn't disappoint._

_Hugging and clenching onto the body of the once proud Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia let out an anguished howl. Gin mused in delight at how even her chokes and sobs managed to sound so adorable._

_"I'm sorry but I have to be on my way now! I hope we can meet again Rukia-chan!"_

_It was the same damn sing-song voice that she had detested so intensely; but as much as she loathed him, she hated herself even more. Walking right into the snake's trap, she allowed herself to get carried away by his mockery, and allowed herself to be manipulated._

_As she cried, the rain did nothing to drown out her wails. Rocking back and forth, she didn't care if that damn snake was walking out of her grasp, she didn't care even when she felt the rain pour down to her bones and chill her heart._

_Clutching her brother's cold, stiff body closer to her, she buried her face into his neck and continued to howl._

_'Goddamn you, Ichimaru Gin.'_

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

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Byakuya didn't dare to press the question further; nor did he find any reason to.

It was clear that the woman in front of him didn't expect anything from him; she was just an unfortunate soul who was granted the miracle of a second chance. What she made of the second chance, however, was more questioning to him.

Long after the gentle silence had settled, Byakuya felt the reiatsu of his Lieutenant inside the noble grounds; he had no doubts that Rukia had also felt it as well.

"Kuchiki-Taichou!"

One of the doors on either sides of the room slid open with a bang, and caused Rukia to snap her head to the source of the ruckus, seeing the familiar red mane and black pigment on tanned skin, she stared into widened eyes filled with surprise. Renji hadn't predicted the possibility of seeing the time-traveler; let alone meeting her.

The two childhood friends held their gaze of shock before Byakuya spoke.

"What is it, Abarai-fukutaichou?"

Renji snapped back from his stupor and glanced at the seated captain, slightly hesitant to reveal the news in front of the mystifying woman.

"Hollows, a lot of them, started invading and attacking Seireitei, the captains are on their way to eliminate them."

Byakuya didn't understand why the captains would be handling a mere number of hollows, something as trivial as that could be handled by the seated officers and lieutenants.

Renji sighed in slight impatience; refusing to look at Rukia, he spoke again.

"They're of adjuchas class, captain, we need to hurry to the Shino academy, there's no way that the students can fight them off."

Rukia closed her eye, so that was the reason for Renji's hesitance… He had suspected her of having a connection with the invasion. She wondered how hollows of _Adjuchas _level had managed to come into Soul Society. She stood up from her spot and straightened herself to her full height.

"Then what are we going here, let us hurry."

She didn't miss the small cautious step taken backwards by her friend and heard the soft rustling of fabric, as Byakuya stood up in front of her.

* * *

It was a given, in a field of chaos, one would always see someone who would rush in to fight, while another would run as far away from the battle as possible.

When the three had reached the academy, the Captain and Lieutenant of the Sixth Division had immediately sprung to slice down the invaders. Rukia stood suspended in air, as she saw waves of red, white and blue uniforms and swarms of tertiary toned masks. As expected, some were attacking while others were fleeing, screams filled the Kido grounds and Rukia was reminded of the first battle of the official war.

Truly the adjuchas were in unusually large numbers and were stronger than normal, Byakuya had already scattered Senbonzakura as did Renji, who had already howled Zabimaru. Rukia hadn't felt the obligation to protect for a long while, looking at the fear and awe evident in the eyes of the students, she thought of how innocent they were.

Glancing back to the open Kido field, Rukia waited until all of the students were at one side of the training ground, she turned her gaze to the two fighters whilst slowly drawing her sword. She narrowed her eyes as she turned her blade counter-clockwise.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

The familiar feeling of power flowed through her body in chilling calm waves as the katana slowly turned pure white; the long white ribbon flowing from the pommel like a breeze of air. There was rush of cold air from all directions and a cold fog descended upon the area.

The students all snapped their heads to the woman and stared with wide eyes; the rumored Sixth Division captain from the future; their breaths came out in small fogs to the sudden cold upon them, and they were sure that the cold wasn't the only reason to why they were trembling.

"Next Dance, Hakuren."

A rampaging tidal wave of pure white flooded across the whole of the grounds and froze everything in its tracks. Rukia glided down to the middle of the field, her expression never changing as she stood in the middle of the still-chaos that she had created. With a flick of her wrist, the frozen ice plane shattered into millions of pieces, preventing any chances of resurrection.

The students stared in awe.

Black, velvety tresses were fluttering behind her curvaceous frame in the cool breeze; smooth pale skin was lit up by the glittering of ice; thick, dark eye lashes got tangled at the ends every time she blinked; pink, plump lips were moist and slightly opened to let out the small breaths that made her chest rise in rhythm.

In all her mystical glory; she seemed like a real life goddess.

Rukia sheathed her sword as her two companions appeared beside her; she initially didn't want to release her shikai however, she came to the conclusion that it would be fine so long as she didn't show them everything.

Whilst the students and teachers tried to organize the former battle field, Renji scratched the back of his head out of habit and turned to the other Sixth Division captain, though he still refused to look her in the eye.

"Ano, thank you for your help… Kuchiki-Taichou."

Renji felt the uncomfortable silence set in and mentally kicked himself for starting such an awkward conversation with the ample figure. He mumbled under his breath before hearing a melodic voice vibrate in an amused laugh. He, along with Byakuya and the students turned to Rukia; who had one hand clenching the fabric over her stomach, and the other attempting to drown out the laugh to no avail.

Renji stood dumbfounded when he saw tears at the corner of her eye; just staring as she calmed herself down enough so that she could wipe tears of mirth from her eye. She crossed her arms and grinned broadly at him.

"Didn't think I'd live to see the day when you started calling me Taichou, _Hihi-sama."_

A vein throbbed at the black pigmented temple. Renji clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

"Did you just call me a _baboon?_"

Seeing the once calm and collected woman double over in another burst of laughter, Renji wondered why he had felt so anxious in the first place, she was still Rukia after all. A deep chuckle joined the mellow laughter in the air and Renji couldn't help but join in.

Byakuya stayed silent throughout the unfolding scene, listening calmly to her smooth voice, only opening his eyes when he realized the silence; he looked up to see Rukia standing in front of him with a wide smile on her face.

"You should hurry back and fill in the reports and paper works, you can leave everything here to us."

Byakuya stared into her violet-gray iris, and tried to read for her motives. But alas, she kept her cards well played.

Without a word, he turned around and started walking before shunpoing off, Rukia gave a soft knowing smile when she saw a fluttering of black and maroon wings from the corner of her eye.

Turning to her red-haired companion, she linked arms with him and giggled when he stiffened and could almost feel the heat come off of his tall stature.

"Come on Hihi-sama, we've got work to do."

Renji snorted and turned to look the other way, trying desperately to fight the blood from rushing to his face.

"I told you not to call me that, damn woman!"

* * *

She had calculated how much of herself she would show, but it was plenty enough for Byakuya to draw the conclusion that indeed, she was strong. The question now, was whether she was a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy. Byakuya had to admit that he never experience a was in all his years of being a captain, but he knew well enough that war was something that changed a person for life.

When he walked into the office, he saw the three senior captains standing around Captain-Commander Yamamoto's desk. They all turned to greet him.

"It seems that war has taken a toll on her strength, it seemed to me that she only showed a very small amount of her strength. Her attacks have reached greater levels than of our present-Rukia; she managed to level the entire frozen ice planes full of Adjuchas leveled hollows, with a flick of her wrist"

The captain of the Eighth Division let out a small sigh as his large, tanned hand reached up to slid off his straw hat.

"Ne, don't you think you're being too harsh, spying on your sister like that, even when all she wants to do is bond with her dear brother."

Byakuya snapped his steely gray eyes towards his senior and held an unwavering gaze.

"It's a captain's duty to report any and all information on a possible enemy; I'm just doing what is asked of me."

"Or rather what is asked of your title."

Byakuya glanced between Ukitake and Kyouraku. Though they were two very perspective people, it seemed that the respectful captains were sticking to the idea that future Rukia wasn't intending to be a threat.

"That is quite enough."

The three debating captains turned their attention to the Captain Commander; who had stood in full height and were staring at them through narrowed eyes.

"There is no mercy for he who obstructs justice; regardless of what she has gone through, or who she was in the past, there will be no exceptions once she goes against the laws of Soul Society; you have done your duty, dismissed."

Byakuya closed his eyes at the dismissal.

"Then if you will excuse me."

* * *

In a fortress of black and white, the lean figure of the Cuatro Espada stood in front of Hueco Mundo's King.

"Aizen-sama, it seems as though there is an unexplained presence of a powerful shinigami."

Calm, chestnut brown eyes tilted up to look into eerily bright green irises, Aizen rested his well-sculpted face on his fist.

"Is that so, anyone I would know?"

"Yes and no; it looks as if Kuchiki Rukia has gone missing from Soul Society, and has been reported that the nameless shinigami is able to use the same zanpakuto as the girl."

A grin managed to stretch over smooth skin, showing pearly white teeth that promised great mischief.

"How interesting."

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_To be continued…_

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**Might re-update this chapter in the near future!**

**Thank you to: TKY363, StarPrincess999, XxGryffindor LionessxX, xXNiNaXx, SAS.363, Kazeshini99, sayap hitam, nuABO96, HeadPhoneOrgyy, pauLinian4eVer, Ubernaut and violetLoVeR** **for your comments! **

**Thank you to: CrazyOnDisplay, Kage-Hyuga-Nara, Violetchi, pauLinan4eVer, sayap hitam, TKY326, Ubernaut, XBlueSkyX, yukionna226 for adding the story on favorite list! **

**Thank you to: Chappy12, CrazyOnDisplay, Goranus, Kage-Hyuga-Nara, pauLinan4eVer, sayap hitam, StarPrincess999, The Kataklyst, XxGryffindor LionessxX for adding the story on story alert! **

**R&R!**

_**~Peace, M.**_


	8. Weaving Princess I

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, however owning plot.**

'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

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* * *

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_(Recap)_

"_Aizen-sama, it seems as though there is an unexplained presence of a powerful shinigami"_

_Calm, chestnut brown eyes tilted up to look into eerily bright green irises, Aizen rested his well-sculpted face on his fist._

"_Is that so, anyone I would know?"_

"_Yes and no; it looks as if Kuchiki Rukia has gone missing from Soul Society, and It has been reported that the nameless shinigami is able to use the same zanpakuto as the girl"_

_A grin managed to stretch over smooth skin, showing pearly white teeth and a promise of great mischief._

"_How interesting"_

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* * *

_

He remembered how he had practically pleaded with Urahara-san to open up a gateway, not caring if he had to go through without the assistance of a hell butterfly. He couldn't take another night of it even if he tried, because night after night; violet-gray had visited him in his sleep, ripping and grappling deep within his soul.

Constantly plagued with the image of her fragile and broken body, he couldn't bring himself to concentrate on anything; not his studies, his shinigami duty, or the surprise suplex that his dad caught him in.

Seeing her in such a weak and fragile state, he just wanted to see Rukia so that he could ensure himself that she was okay.

Ichigo found his mind wandering off for minutes and hours, just thinking about the pain she had gone through; biting his lips in frustration and wondering if his future self did anything to protect his little butterfly, it just allowed another scar of irritation and helplessness to scorch deeply in his heart.

Had he died?

Had he betrayed her?

Just what was he _doing _in the future?

Despite the cold hard grip of anxiety clenching his heart, he had so many questions that he so desperately wanted to ask her. But how could he… how could _they_ face her.

As much as it may have seemed cruel.

He hadn't wanted the others to see her in such a state.

Like a glass vase that had broken one too many times, rebuilt forcefully with cracks adorning its once smooth surface.

_Stronger than ever, but just as broken._

No.

He didn't want them to see her like that.

With inner turmoil clouding up his heart and mind, he couldn't even find the strength to reject the others who had volunteered to come along; his objection only being voiced out silently in his head, but wishing just as much for them to hear it.

Thinking back, he had thought that it had seemed all too soon, when he was panning his head at the Captain's Assembly Hall, standing at the furthest corner with the rest of his companions.

Her presence had caused a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, even the captains who were usually considered laidback and relaxed stood rigid and alert. With her ample figure, straight back and head held high, she had an atmosphere around her that demanded order and attention. Moreover, her voice… despite hearing the melodic tune coming out through those pink lips and bouncing off the walls, they hadn't helped in soothing him, if anything; it made his heart beat faster.

He remembered feeling his breath pause when the flow of her gentle reiatsu had bombarded his senses, eyes painfully following the slightest of movements made by the older noblesse.

So she had suffered fifty-five years; fifty-five years of pain, blood and tears.

As she spoke in her soft voice, his mind had drifted to think.

He couldn't dare imagine the pain and suffering he would have gone through if he had to repeat the death of his mother for fifty-five long years.

In his train of thought, his ears perked slightly at a mention of a name.

He didn't remember when, but his sandaled feet had dragged his body to light, registering the feeling of his breath hitch and the sight of her.

_'__Shiro…saki...'_

He remembered seeing her gray-violet iris harden as her small, pink lips moved sensually to appease the tidal wave of dreaded curiosity that was rushing through his body, the question that had burdened him for hours on end during sleepless nights, managing to drown him in pools of anxiousness and terror.

_'__No.'_

He wasn't dead.

_'__But I'm not far off it.'_

The dark urges and temptations inside of his heart, that he had so desperately tried to contain, seemed to have eventually prevailed over his willpower.

_He _had taken control in the end.

* * *

The substitute shinigami roamed the city of souls, eyes darting to familiar shapes of buildings and recalling the drastic turn of events. His mind was still foggy; gears not yet properly functioning, he just didn't know how to digest such information.

The war.

_His_ triumph.

Their downfall.

All the suffering and pain in the middle.

To her, it all happened… it all actually _happened._

And it was the future that they were all spiraling into.

Their pending doom made apprehension grip painfully at his heart before being overwhelmed with the feeling of a familiar wave of reiatsu.

Ichigo slowly turned, seeing Rukia standing in front of him a few feet away, and couldn't seem to breathe.

He suddenly felt light-headed as he gazed into that same eye that had plagued his mind.

Golden-honey irises watched painfully as they followed the form of the other Sixth Division Captain making her way towards him, stopping only inches away.

The oppressing silence made his chest constrict and his palms clammy.

"Ru-"

"Even if I were to die right now, I might be able to die in peace, so thanks a lot you stupid strawberry."

Ichigo blinked.

'_What?'_

"Don't say something like that!"

He unconsciously took a step forward in retort, his uneasiness being washed over with the feeling of irritation at her calm expression when it came to death; especially _her _death. He would never forgive himself if she was ever to leave his side.

Ichigo saw the sudden surprise in her eye and posture, her body leaning backwards in habitual defense. He felt beads of sweat starting to form when he realized what he did; shock was written all over deep amber eyes stunning Ichigo in his spot, only being broken out of his stupor when he could hear the soft melody of her laugh, just staring as the older shinigami sang with mirth.

Her laughter soon died down to occasional giggles, staring at the bewildered human boy with tears at the corner of her eye.

"Why so serious? It isn't like you."

Seeing the downcast eyes reflecting like a mirror to his soul, Rukia gave a soft smile at his silence.

"I know what you're thinking."

Ichigo clenched his fists loosely at his sides and kept his head down, not wanting the emotions that were scorching in his heart to show through his eyes.

"You're scared of me, yet you still search for the Rukia you know deep inside; you want to forget me, but my image plagues your mind…"

Rukia took a step forward and stood directly in front of Ichigo, seeing the outline of his figure tense ever so slightly at the proximity.

Her gray-violet orbs traced along his facial features.

The angular face of a blooming youth, who had witnessed more than first bargained for and willwitness so much more, while wearing those slight creases of muscle between his eyebrows showing the trademark frown; his lips pursed together tightly as if locking in a dire secret.

Skin slightly tanned by hours spent outside during hollow patrols, wearing scars beneath the surface of smooth skin of battles won and lost, his vibrant and loud hair swaying ever so slightly in the slight breeze, looking so soft and so smooth.

She traced her eye back to his, deep into depths of endless amber and saw the pupils dilated by the sunlight of the morning.

They were talking to her, telling her that the future didn't have to be that way and all the naïve belief in humane liberty and justice.

But at the same time, they were screaming at her that they've never been to war; never seen what war was like.

They've never seen dead carcasses.

Never seen how softly a sword could slice through flesh and bones.

Never seen the pale faces of comrades whose bodies were slowly growing rigid and cold.

Never seen the monster that resided in everyone, enemy and allies alike, all wearing those small smiles as they showered in blood.

Never seen the sky crying tears of crimson.

But they pretended to sympathize, they pretended to understand.

_They've never seen war._

Trying to sympathize could only be possible for them.

And there is no way for them to know that what had been seen could never be unseen.

_Because they've never seen war._

Pair of amber eyes concentrated on her lips as she opened them to speak.

"You want to save me, but you're not sure if you're capable of reviving me…"

Rukia ran her hand through short ginger locks, ruffling it and further surprising Ichigo.

"Come on strawberry! You were the one who told me to take the chance! I don't want my last memory of you to be of a sulking fool, got it?"

Ichigo stared at the image of her wide beaming face; even after all she had been through, and all that she will have to go through, it was amazing how she still managed to be so adorable.

"Hey, Rukia… why…"

After what seemed a long time, Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but caught himself before he could finish, he just couldn't bring himself to ask.

"I wanted to live…"

Rukia didn't miss the slight surprise that shined brightly in his amber eyes; was he always this easy to read? She wondered…

"You wanted to ask why, didn't you? Why I sided with him… why I allowed him to garner my soul..."

His silence confirmed the ever growing burden and sadness in his heart.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_She felt pain._

_That's all she could feel._

_It was ripping at every fiber of her being; ripping, tearing, scratching._

_The dull throbbing in her right eye didn't seem so bad now._

_She felt the ends of her hair dripping with cold sweat, sticking to her face like a mask. Her hands felt clammy as she held the tilt of her sword, feeling the wrapping of her hilt digging roughly into her palm. _

_Frantically, Rukia looked at her surrounding; her left eye tried to adjust to the dark as much as possible, wide and dilated to nothing but a dot._

_In the deathly silence, all she could hear was the erratic breathing and the beat of her own heart._

_**Ba-dump.**_

_**Ba-dump.**_

_**Ba-dump.**_

_She felt a heavy shift in the atmosphere and saw dots of red lighting up in the dark._

_Her heart stopped._

_Looking at the angular white masks slowly coming to light, despite being depraved from food for days, Rukia fought down the rising sickness in her throat._

_She was in the middle of death's nest and she was going to die here._

_There was just no way that she could get out of here alive._

_Rukia felt hysteria overcome her._

_She had endured through all the shedding of blood and tears during the resistance; losing her heart every time the white sand soaked up the blood of her loved ones; through all those experiments that had killed her every time the scalpel dipped to rip at her skin, and every time the needle prodded into her skin; through all those encounters with the very man who had ripped apart her world, then proceeded to take her right eye._

_All that, and she was just going to __**die**__ here._

_She dodged a swipe made at her head and sheathed her sword._

_In a frenzy of dodging and cutting, Rukia realized that there was absolutely no end to their numbers._

_Knelt on the ground with her sword to support her figure, she saw the white sand turning crimson around her and only clutched the deep stomach wound tighter._

_She bit her lip as she saw the waves of white masks coming closer to her._

_'__I don't want to die here.'_

_**'**__****__I_ don't want to die here.'

_'…__Kuchiki Rukia.'_

_Rukia looked up; the only thing she could hear was the soft whisper of the wind and noticed that there was nothing around her. Living up to its name as the most beautiful zanpakuto in Soul Society, Sode no Shirayuki appeared in front of her, dressed like a beautiful Yuki-onna in white and light blue clothing; wearing a Furisode kimono: the top part of her kimono had long sleeves that reached down to the white sandy ground; the bottom part wrinkling around her feet like ripples in a pond. Her long, pale blue hair was clipped at the left side of her head at the front, while on the right it hung loose and in shorter lengths. _

_Rukia gaped at the manifested spirit in front of her._

_"__What do you want, Kuchiki Rukia."_

_Want?_

_What did she want?_

_'__Live…'_

'_Live'_

"_I want to… live"_

_Live. _

_Live._

_**Live.**_

"_Then __**live**, __my butterfly!" _

_In the still silence of the nest of death, waves of oppressing black purple reiatsu burst throughout the darkness. The adjuchas froze on the spot, feeling the cold chill of fear biting into their bones._

_Rukia clutched her wound tighter as she got up from her crouched position, ignoring the searing pain that was shooting up her torso, her small blood stained hand gripped the hilt of the white zanpakuto, staining it bright red. Feeling the energy pumping into her body, overriding her system with vast vigor, she lifted her head to show the whites of her eye bleeding black and her gray-violet iris shining silver._

**"**_**Bankai!"**_

_(End Flashback)_

_

* * *

_

There was a silent atmosphere between the two shinigamis; one who wanted to save, and one who knew it was already too late.

"Rukia… I-"

"- Don't give your heart to me. If you've given it, take it back, I'm an unbelievably horrible person… you can't even imagine. If you knew the thoughts I live with every day, you wouldn't want to look at me even for a second..."

Rukia walked past the ginger head towards the Thirteenth Division Barracks, ignoring the tightness in her heart, and refusing to look at his pained eyes.

She didn't like it anymore; being able to read him so easily.

She didn't want to see the pain she had inflicted on him.

"… I'll leave this place eventually, so don't dote on me, I'm not the kind of person who will stay here forever"

"But… you're still Rukia, and that's fine with me"

Rukia closed her eyes and thought how foolish the boy was, but couldn't resist the urge to smile softly at his declaration.

* * *

Looking up, night had washed over the skies of Soul Society, the ruling moon blanking every nook and cranny with luminescent silver light.

It had been a few weeks since the arrival of the future Rukia and still, the restlessness never seemed to evaporate.

She had blindly followed him here, she remembered all those times when he would gaze at _her_ tenderly, and how she would smile back and nod with her shoulders narrow, her face filled with tenderness and happiness.

Orihime had felt as if something crumbled with a loud sound, but she just stood stock still, unable to move.

She wasn't going to say something quaint or stupid like _'why isn't it me?'_ But he was looking like she's never seen him look before, and she just felt so far away.

Only recently had she figured out that she knew the reason to why his eyes sometimes looked so sad, she also realized that there was only one person who could do anything for him.

And it's wasn't her or anyone else.

But she pretended not to realize and tried to fool herself with an obvious lie, but it was just even more futile.

This was the feeling what people called love, and the feelings she felt was definitely love, wasn't it?

Orihime played with a strand of her ginger hair between her frail fingers, biting her lip in anxiousness of the events to unfold.

She couldn't fight anyone.

She couldn't support anyone.

She couldn't even help herself if she wanted to.

But what could she say, she was oh so hopelessly in love.

"Inoue."

Curvaceous body jumped in surprise and turned rigid as Orihime turned to look at the guest.

"A-ano, Konbanwa… Kurosaki-kun."

Seeing those stern honey-golden irises looking directly into hers made butterflies flutter in her stomach, being so close to him alone, without the presence of their friends… or even Rukia, it made Orihime's knees weak.

"You know, Kurosaki-kun…"

Soft gray eyes concentrated on the ground as fingers fiddled with each other.

"…After entering high school, I was so happy to be surrounded by such beautiful people. Kurosaki-kun, Chizuru-chan, Tatsuki-chan, Keigo-kun, Mizuiro-kun and Kuchiki-san were all such beautiful people. I was always happy and content. However… after she came, I couldn't help but pray at nights."

Delicate hands clasped together, lips were drawn into a small smile and eyes were over shadowed by ginger bangs.

"…I wanted him, I wanted him so badly, I ached for him. I wanted to feel him, touch him, and make him mine if only for a moment of my life. I wished for countless days that he would be here, next to me and I wanted to show him how much I loved him..."

Pearly white teeth bit down on soft plump lips, even if she hated to cry, she cursed herself when the familiar sensation of prickling heat made their way to the corners of her eyes.

"..At first, I was so content… so content with him just looking at me, smiling at me and laughing with me. But my feelings mutated into ugly selfishness and I couldn't help but feel jealous every time he looked at someone else, smiled at someone else, and laughed with someone else…I'm such an ugly person…"

A single droplet of a tear glided down soft, pale cheeks as Orihime slowly lifted her head, ready to face the emotions that were swimming in his eyes, ready to bare all her vulnerability to him.

"Even so…Kurosaki-kun… Can-can you make this prayer come true…"

Ichigo's honey-golden orbs lowered in silent remorse, he would have been lying if he said that he wasn't aware of the girl's advances, but he was a coward when faced with tears of pain, so he had played the innocent school boy instead.

"Inoue…I don't know what to say… and even if I did say anything, I'm afraid it'll only be the words that would hurt you."

The girl looked down again and clenched her hands tightly, forming a white-knuckled fist.

"But Kuchiki-san…Kuchiki-san isn't even here."

Ichigo gave her a soft glance.

"She's here Inoue, she's still here. She maybe not be my Rukia, but she's Rukia nonetheless."

My Rukia.

_**My **_Rukia.

He had called her his.

_**His**__._

"Do… do you love her…?"

Amber eyes softened at her words.

Honestly speaking, it wasn't the first time, he realized, that he had felt over protective of the midget.

For every time Keigo stood a foot too close to the raven-haired shinigami; his jealousy soared because he didn't want anyone so much as looking at what was his.

Every time blood splattered on her fluorescent skin; his heart felt heavy, regretful and broken because he wasn't strong enough to protect her hands from bloodshed.

For every time she looked at him, his heart and his soul; he felt as if he owned the world, because all it took was a smile from her lips to make his day.

And for every time he pondered deeply on his feelings for the said midget; he had to hold himself back, for he knew that the darkness within him craved for his little butterfly as well.

And despite him longing for her, it was a dangerous risk he was reluctant to take.

Realization had dawned, and Orihime felt horror grip at her heart.

"I think…"

Soft gray eyes, that had tears brimming at its corners, widened.

_'No…'_

"…No… I know…"

_'S-Stop…__**please**__ stop…'_

"…That…"

_'Stop… Stop. Stop. __**STOP**__!'_

"…I love her"

Heart stopped as daggers of pain ripped at her core.

"I'm…sorry Inoue, really."

Frozen on the spot, Orihime couldn't bring herself to cry or even prevent the man she had so dearly loved from slipping between her fingers.

Knees gave way and hit the ground with a dull thud, and that was when Orihime Inoue admitted defeat, because even though Rukia was gone, and even though the one in her place would never recuperate his feelings, he still didn't glance her way.

She was just scared that she wasn't even competing in the first place.

.

.

.

_To be continued…_

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* * *

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**-EDITED-**

_**~Peace, M.**_


	9. Weaving Princess II

**Disclaimer: Owns plot, not Bleach.**

**.**

**.  
**

'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

'_**Emphasis during flashbacks'**_

_**

* * *

**__(Recap)__**  
**_

"I think…"

Soft gray eyes, that had tears brimming at its corners, widened.

_'No…'_

"…No… I know…"

_'S-Stop…__**please**__ stop…'_

"…That…"

_'Stop… Stop. Stop. __**STOP**__!'_

"…I love her"

Heart stopped as daggers of pain ripped at her core.

"I'm…Sorry Inoue, really"

Frozen on the spot, Orihime couldn't bring herself to cry or even prevent the man she had so dearly loved from slipping between her fingers.

Knees gave way and hit the ground with a dull thud, and that was when Orihime Inoue admitted defeat, because even though Rukia was gone, and even though the one in her place would never recuperate his feelings, he still didn't glance her way.

She was just scared that she wasn't even competing in the first place.

* * *

She hated it.

Why did she cry so much?

Had she actually expected a change of heart from him and think that he would accept her with open arms?

God, how stupid could she be.

Blinking through puffy gray eyes, she felt the slight sticky sensation down her cheeks where her tears had dried.

How many hours had she cried for?

Gray orbs shifted to the sky and stared at the moon.

It was still night.

The sun hadn't yet come to wash away her sorrows whilst the sound of humming crickets did nothing to soothe down her pain that seemed to scream in volumes.

Ears slightly perked at the sudden rustling of grass behind her.

Burnt-orange locks swished behind her as Orihime snapped her head towards the sound and froze.

Her movement stopped, her breathing stopped, and she wished that her heart would stop as well.

"Stand up, Inoue Orihime."

The chilling tone of her voice sent shivers down Orihime's as she slowly got up from her knelt position, feeling like a snake that was mesmerized by a snake charmer, she didn't know why her body had moved on its own accord.

"K-Kuchiki-san."

She was a rabbit trapped in a lion's den; staring into a single gray-violet iris, Orihime felt the icy stare bite down deep to her bones, only trying desperately to keep herself up with trembling knees.

This wasn't a lion's den.

This was the palms of a demon's hand and she was stuck between tangled fingers. Ones that she was sure would break her.

"Come with me."

Her sentence was short and to the point, and even without her telling her to, Orihime only saw and heard the voice and image of Kuchiki Rukia. She opened her mouth to retort but her voice box just wasn't functioning.

"Do not ask any questions. Do not say anything. You have no rights. What you hold in your hand is the rope to the guillotine above your friends' necks."

The atmosphere had turned cold, fog was rolling in and Orihime saw white clouds forming every time she exhaled.

"Understand, Inoue Orihime, that this is not a negotiation, it's an order."

Gray-violet clashed with the pale illuminated face turned considerably darker, Orihime truly did believe her; believed that Rukia would destroy everything that made up her world if she didn't comply.

Rukia slowly turned around, the white stitching of the Sixth Division displayed clearly for the younger girl to see.

"One person."

She cocked her head slightly to the right, her dull eye staring off to the distance.

"I will allow you to meet only one person before I come for you; don't try anything because I _will _find out."

Watching the place where Rukia had been not many seconds ago, Orihime felt her knees finally giving way once the oppressing spiritual pressure had gone.

* * *

Slowly panning her pretty face around her surroundings, elegant wooden carvings and polished floors came to her eyes, eventually landing on the peacefully sleeping form of Kurosaki Ichigo.

Orihime felt a shiver of discomfort and embarrassment sweep through her body; she felt so out of place just by simply standing in the same room as him.

As she treaded softly and silently to his bedside, the urge to shake him awake and ask him to save her was itching at her fingertips.

But the image of a single pool of chilling gray-violet scorched deeply in her mind, and she felt as if her every movement was already being monitored.

Orihime had no doubts that Rukia could destroy everything, had she wanted to.

Absolutely none at all.

Tilting her head, she gazed at the relaxed muscles of his face that always seemed so tense, and felt her hands clench tightly in self disappointment.

She just couldn't ease them away, could she?

She slowly untangled her fingers and reached softly for his hands, only resting them slightly so that she could feel the warmth and rough texture of his fingers.

She leaned over slowly, bringing her face closer to his, closing her eyes gradually as she felt warm breath on her lips for every time he exhaled.

Squeezing his hands softly, she felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

"I can't… I really can't…I'm terrible aren't I? It's my last time to see you and I'm…"

Her sentence trailed off into silence before she took a deep breath and allowed a hollow smile to grace her lips.

"You know Kurosaki-kun, I had a lot of things I wanted to do…"

The night stayed quiet, and the teenage boy was as silent as ever.

"…I wanted to be a teacher… I also wanted to be an astronaut and also make my own cake shop…"

Though smiling, Orihime bit her lip at the unresponsive boy.

"…I wanted to go to Mister Doughnut's and say 'I'll have them all!' and I wanted to go to Thirty-One and say 'I'll have them all!'"

So cruel.

Here she was pouring out all her heart to him, and he wouldn't even look at her.

'_You're so cruel, Kurosaki-kun.'_

"Oh, I wish I could live life five times over, then I'd be born in five different cities, I'd stuff myself with different delicious foods five times each, I'd have five different jobs… and then for those five times…"

She felt a path of crystal slide down her pink cheek and clenched her hands tighter to try and stop herself from breaking down.

'_Not now tears, I'm saying my goodbye, at least give me that much.'_

"…I'd fall in love with the same person... thank you Kurosaki-kun…"

'_And goodbye.'_

_

* * *

_

The first thing that came to her mind back then, was denial. If she was truly Rukia, there was no way that she would use her friends to threaten her like that.

If she was the Rukia she knew, there was no way that she would stake the lives of her friends so easily.

However, obviously she was wrong.

'_I don't want to meet he.r'_

She remembered how that one eye had stabbed dread into her heart and painfully twisted the blade.

"Inoue Orihime."

A voice colder than ice itself.

"K-Kuchiki-sa-"

A painful jolt flashed through her body as her eyes slowly grew heavy and eventually closed to give into the darkness, her curvaceous body went limp and slowly started dropping to the ground, before Rukia grabbed her waist and slung her on to her shoulder.

"Sorry princess, but you won't want to see their faces after they witness what I'm about to do."

* * *

"**An attack! There's been an attack at the First Divisions!"**

Pearly white teeth with enlarged canines gleamed in the darkness of the night; a gray-violet iris dancing with an eerie flame of enjoyment as they looked around at the vast frozen grounds of the First Division Barracks, slightly shifting the unconscious girl on her shoulder from time to time.

Ears perked slightly at the yells and hollers of the shinigamis around her.

'_How irritating.'_

Long eyelashes didn't even flicker even when knowing that people were charging closer with their swords drawn; while holding the most beautiful zanpakuto in all of Seireitei, Rukia flicked her wrist to create a wall of ice around her and the disgruntled Sou-Taichou, sealing the two off against any interruptions.

"Come on, I know you have something to say, so let's talk like civilized adults."

Her voice was laced with ridicule, taking a completely different tone to when she first talked to the Sou-Taichou.

"You first came here with the smell of blood and madness drenched down through to your bones; you may have fooled the rest into trusting you, but certainly not me; you had the eyes of a mad dog, just waiting to bite into its prey and rip it to pieces."

"It's extremely unbecoming of a gentleman such as yourself, to call a lady a mad dog; that aside, you've disappointed me greatly..."

A grin stretched itself across pale white cheeks and bared fangs of a beast.

"Even _you _wouldn't be able to imagine the things that war had put me through; to think that you only sent a hell butterfly and a single captain to keep track of me, showed me how much you underestimated this whole situation."

Gray-violet, that was borrowing into aged red eyes, shifted to the side as a cry of the Heaven Piercing Moon Fang Broke through the ice she had situated around them.

'_So Ichigo is the only one who has the potential…'_

She jumped into the air and stood suspended as she stared into wide amber eyes. Those same eyes that have yet to see war, those same eyes that held confusion as they landed on her.

"R-Rukia?... Inoue?…"

"You finally woke up? I was starting to wonder how much more of a racket I had to make you know!"

The boy took a step forward, confusion and shock illustrated through the way he stood.

"W-why…"

Rukia shifted the girl on her shoulders and flashed a grin to Ichigo.

"War changes people, Kurosaki…"

The dawn of the night sky started to rip itself open to show a void of another dimension.

"…War changes everything…"

Amber eyes were trying to read gray-violet, but Ichigo just couldn't see his Rukia anymore, this wasn't her… this_ couldn't _be her.

Like their first encounter, the fluttering of her black haori and the last image of her suffocating iris burrowed deep into is soul, rotting him to the spot and preventing him from going after her retreating back.

And it was the same scenario that prevented him from going after her; the fluttering of her black haori and the last image of her suffocating eye burrowing deep into his soul.

With captains yelling out orders and subordinates running around the city, Ichigo couldn't isolate himself to think properly.

'_Did… did Rukia just betray Soul Society?'_

_

* * *

_

The world was stripped of color, everything painted in nothing but black and white. Smooth silver sand blanketed the floor and the sun never chased after the moon. Nights were eternal and the weather was a constant soft breeze of ice cold air. She was already missing how the soft pastel pinks dyed the delicate sakura blossoms; how the sky swirled in beautiful shades of blue, even after years of staying inside those four white walls and seeing the black withered trees, her heart could never get used to the darkness and solitude that was constantly around her.

Most of her life had been spent behind those stone cold walls, ones that had managed to bring a new world of pain that she never thought existed. Looking ahead on the sandy planes, Rukia saw the dull outline of a tall wide building.

She was back in Hueco Mundo.

And she had to wonder why.

Why was she doing this?

What the hell was she thinking?

Tracing her lone eye along those familiar towers and domes she managed a small smile to stretch across her face.

She must of have lost her mind; coming back to this place.

A place where she had tried so desperately to escape from for the last thirty years of her life.

Shifting the girl on her shoulders once more; the time-traveler started making her way towards Las Noches, a heavy burden weighing down her heart for every foot print she made in the silver sands.

'_I definitely lost it…'_

* * *

The screen showed a tall curvaceous figure in a sleeveless black captain's haori, striding in as if familiar with the place, the guest made casual lefts and rights, the current of raven hair flowing behind her like a water fall with a contrast of orange locks from another figure rested on her shoulder.

"Ara ara, looks like big Rukia-chan used a garganta to get to Hueco Mundo, seems like she's having a great time touring our palace ne?"

A mocking tone resonated off the cold, still walls of the throne room.

"And looks like Rukia-chan brought a peace offering… should we send someone to escort her?"

"That's won't be necessary."

"Hm?"

Aizen felt the lean body of Ichimaru Gin turn back to the screen; baring a wide smirk, he set his eyes on his guest.

So this was what became of the noble Kuchiki Rukia, he had to wonder what kind of future was in store for them. What kind of place had managed to turn a noble, naive little girl into such a cold, daunting fighter?

He gave a small snort.

It was tragic beauty at its best.

He felt small trembles of excitement course through his body, staring at the girl on the screen who was looking right at him; with her eerie gray-violet eyes that seemed to know all, Aizen's interest in the tragic-good-turned-evil-hero escalated with every step taken by the girl.

She was coming closer.

"Eh? Rukia-chan disappeared from the screens."

A dark knowing smirk set on his lips.

'_No…'_

The barely audible taps on the smooth cement floor came to a halt and Aizen felt the intruding reiatsu clash violently with Gin's and his own, filling the room with tension.

'_She's already here.'_

"Aizen!"

Gin casually turned around towards the intruder, a wide foxy grin stretching over his long slender face, one of his ever-closed eyes opening to show a brilliant light blue hue.

"Ohayo Rukia-chan!"

The raven haired girl prevented her poker face from faltering, her eye landed on the former Third Division Captain and narrowed.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_She could hear the erratic breathing that had belonged to her._

_The dull buzzing in her ears._

_The soft drips made by the blood that pooled at the tip of her sword. _

_She could feel the painful clench she had on her katana._

_The dull pain that was ripping at her body._

_The muddy earth beneath her sandaled feet._

_But all she could see was the blood seeping through his plain white coat._

_Painting his torso with bright, bright red._

_She wondered if it hurt…_

'_It better damn well hurt.'_

_Somewhere in her mind, she was sure that thunder was ripping throughout the skies of the fallen City of Souls._

_Was it raining?_

_Yeah…_

_She was pretty sure it was raining…_

_Heaven's tears fell and landed on her pale cheeks, leaving a wet trail as it slid down to her neck.  
_

_Damnit, why did it rain so much._

_The left of her eye drifted up from the wound towards his face._

_It was that damn grin again._

_Why the hell did he grin so much?_

_Even when he had killed Byakuya._

_Although Rukia was sure that he freakin' enjoyed that._

_Even when Rangiku had died by Tia's fraccion._

_'Did that asshole even feel anything in the first place?'_

_And even when a large gash was running across his chest, thick red blood running down from his torso to his legs and staining the ground._

_He still wore that damn grin._

'_Stupid fox face.'_

_His grin only grew wider, blue eyes clashing with white bangs as the rain made the hairs stick to his thin, pointed face._

"_What's wrong Rukia-chan? Why did you stop all of the sudden?"_

_Even when the rain had already chilled the core of her body, she still managed to boil with rage._

"_How dare you…"_

"_Ara? What was that Rukia-chan? You'll havta speak up!"_

_Sode no Shirayuki tremored as the grip on her hilt grew tighter and tighter._

"_**How dare you lay your filthy hands on him with that stupid grin on your face!"**_

_She saw his deathly pale face and mocking grin draw closer as she lunged towards him, her sword drawn to strike._

_Then._

_**Nothing...**  
_

_There was silence on the field._

_She didn't know what happened…_

_Had the thunder blind sighted her?_

_Staring down at the fallen form of the former Third Division Captain, she saw a ring of blood rapidly spreading wider, the gash in his torso accompanied by another, more deeper one._

_And he was still wearing that grin._

_Even when blood bubbled out from his mouth to slide down sideways along his pale cheeks and the rain pelted down directly on his face._

_There was no movement; no flickering of the eyes, no twitching of the muscles._

_Nothing._

_But he still wore that grin._

_Godamnit, she hated that grin._

_And she clenched her hand tighter despite feeling the warm crimson liquid trickle out from her cold and deathly pale hands._

_Yeah… he won…_

_There was just no way to wipe that grin off his face._

_'Not even death.'_

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

_

She had spent years under Aizen, years through the knowledge that her brother had been killed by the damn fox before finally being able to kill him, and now here he was in front of her, very much alive and wearing that damn infuriating grin on his face.

"You already knew of my predicament, why am I not surprised?"

Her deep and rich voice filled the room, her tone laced with a casual flair.

The large screen, that had materialized from nothing but air, disappeared and revealed the form of Aizen Sousuke, ever so casually sitting on his throne with a clenched hand supporting his head.

"What could the young Kuchiki noble want from a despairing place like this…?"

The corner of her lips tugged to show a crooked grin, eyes more narrow and alert as she shifted the girl on her shoulder once more, burnt-orange hair swaying every time she did so.

This was the real demon's den.

"The Kuchiki clan abandoned me years before the war started; I have no reason to carry their name."

Gin took slight interest and took a step forward.

"Didn't your precious Nii-sama stop them? What is he doing in the future?"

That mocking voice again.

Thinking about it now, she preferred it when he's voice was muted by the sound of his blood bubbling and suffocating him.

"He isn't doing much, you killed him after all."

Silence hung over the room and Rukia saw the slight raise of the brows from Aizen.

The usual grin was laced with amusement; she could see it and had to wonder.

'_Since when the hell could I 'read' his grins?'_

"Don't be so happy, you were just being a sneaky bastard, is all."

"And the girl? Why did you bring the girl?"

Rukia lazily turned her head towards the even more sanctimonious bastard.

"Don't think I don't know you Aizen. Your doubts and suspicions show in your eyes, I've been around you far too long for you to give me that damn feign smirk and expect me to be fooled by it"

She shifted the unconscious body of Orihime once more, only just realizing how light she was.

"You rein supremacy in our future, and war has taught me better than to stick with the naive children of Soul Society; I like people who win you see, and in my time, you have _definitely _won."

Rukia saw hesitance in his eyes, why was he so easy to read?

"I assure you that I'm a powerful ally Aizen, if I ever once cared for the ryoka's life then I wouldn't of have brought her here."

She unconsciously felt her heart start to beat normally when she saw his smirk losing its tension.

"I've already warned her that the lives of her friends were in her hands, she'll listen to what I say so I'll be the one watching her."

Aizen seemed to think on it for a minute, staring deep into her one eye to look for any other intentions.

"I'll get someone to prepare a-"

"That…"

She turned around, the burnt-orange swaying like a river down her chest.

"...Will not be necessary..."

She started heading out the door.

"I'll take residence in my old room."

As she started to walk out, the feeling of their piercing stares on her back didn't escape her.

Whether it was Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, her movements were monitored closely, like a caged bird barely given enough space to stretch their wings.

She stared down at lolling head of the healer.

She'd have to be careful from here on.

* * *

A dull pain was throbbing at her stiff neck, but it wasn't like she had to move around a lot, she had stayed sitting for quite a while now, just staring out the small window pane that showed the day's sky of Hueco Mundo.

All alone between those white walls, Orihime wished she was a concrete statue set there for the birds to sit on. No thoughts, no cares, no pain, just years of weathering in the sun and rain until there was nothing left.

Not even flinching when she heard the slight click as the door slowly opened behind her.

Immediately she felt her tears slowly falling down her cheeks again, but too proud to wipe them away.

"Why…"

The sound of soft tapping only boomed loudly in her ears, getting closer and closer until the older woman was knelt in front of her.

Gray eyes looked at the face of the one who brought her to this prison; Rukia's face had gotten considerably softer.

As if expecting her to believe that she was worried for her.

"Why."

Her voice cracked and tears started to flow more freely down her cold pale cheeks.

She didn't even pull away when the darker clothed woman brought her into a sudden embrace, softly burying her tear stricken face into her shoulders, softly caressing her hair and soothingly running her long, slender fingers through her orange locks. The other hand supporting her back and rubbing circles as the younger girl started to cry more loudly, hiccupping every so now and then, continuing rub until her cries ceased.

Orihime weakly held onto Rukia's shoulders and pulled back an arm's length, barely being able to see her face through the tears in her eyes before Rukia delicately cupped her face, brushing her tears away softly with her thumbs.

Rukia looked into her blood shot eyes, she may have wanted to hide it from her, but she promised herself that she would pick up on those unseen tears and silent cries.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_Hot water sprayed down on the girl._

_The white uniform clinging tightly to her curves as pale, sun-deprived hands tried desperately to wash away the blood._

_It just wouldn't come off…_

_No matter how much she washed, no matter how hard she scrubbed._

_Even when the skin had gone angry red and slowly started to bleed at the vigorous movement of friction._

_It just wouldn't come off…_

_Why was it so hard to get the blood off her hands?_

_She paused and stared down at her palms, then slowly started to feel an itch all around her, and started to scratch at the smooth exposed skin._

_No matter how much she washed, no matter how hard she scrubbed._

_She was still drenched in blood and she was tainted._

_Oh so tainted._

_Even though she was drenched in crystal water, she felt and smelt __**him.**_

_His bony fingers running all along her body, plunging and caressing, rubbing and squeezing._

_She felt his tongue run along her calves and felt him grind against her, around her, __**in her.**_

_Fingers scratched more forcefully at her skin, leaving dark red marks and even opening new wounds._

_She just couldn't wash him off…_

_She absent mindedly stared at the blood that was coming out from between her thighs, mixing with the water in a marble effect._

_Her pretty orange head jolted violently at the sound of an opening door._

_No._

_He just finished…_

_Scared and hysterical gray eyes landed on the trespasser._

_But he was back…_

_The water drenched curvaceous body started to violently shake, forming ripples around her._

"_You've been waiting for me in the bathroom? Such a naughty pet-sama, didn't you get enough?"_

_He habitually stuck out his long pointed tongue that had a tattoo of the number five on them, showing his pearly teeth through his large grin._

_He was back… _

_Oh God, have mercy on her._

_She shrunk to the corner of the tub as the new comer joined her, stark naked._

_It was the smell that she couldn't get away from; it was all over the bathroom._

"_Come closer pet-sama, I promise not to bite."_

_A long pale arm reached out for her and forcefully brought her closer to him, pulling her flush against his chest._

_Spindly arms started coiling around her like a snake, never to let her go._

_She felt her heart pick up pace drastically and tried to cling onto herself as nimble fingers moved to peel the wet clothes off of her._

"_It ain't nothing I haven't already seen pet-sama."_

'_Save me…'_

_

* * *

_

_She didn't know how she was living now._

_Days, weeks, months._

_They just simply passed her like the breeze._

_Why were so many of her friends still dying even though she had tried desperately to heal and save them all?_

_Her short orange locks swayed as she stopped in front of a plain white door, thin fingers reaching up to fondle where her hair pins had once been._

_White teeth bite on pink lips as Orihime poised her hands to knock on the door._

_Gray eyes slightly widening when the door opened on its own._

_Gray and gray-violet clashed._

"_Ru…Rukia-chan…"_

_She immediately felt the waves of emotions reaching her throat, tears already flowing like a stream down her cheeks._

_She felt a soft hand reach gently for her hand and lead her in the room of her friend._

_Orihime didn't know when she felt it last, the feeling of security._

_She looked ahead and saw a lone eye looking back at her; the other was covered in white bandages, a small red blotch over where the right iris would have been._

_Rukia was going through her own sufferings; there was just no way could she have begged her to save her._

_Orihime felt herself choke as she saw gray-violet sparkle with worry._

_She had tried so hard to be strong._

_Tried so hard so that Rukia would never find out._

_But here she was._

_Her hands blindly searched for Rukia's and squeezed hard when she found her forearm._

"_Ru…Rukia-chan."_

_Her voice was hollow and hoarse, holding desperation that couldn't have been known to mankind._

"_I can't live with it anymore! I-I've tried living for them but I can't, not anymore! I want to be selfish, j-just this once, so please…"_

_Her voice was on the verge of cracking, only further setting a confused and panicked look in Rukia's eye._

"…_please kill me"_

_Orihime felt the body under her hands stiffen and bawled heavier._

"_What … what the hell are you talking about!"_

_She felt tremors run through her body as the black haired girl yelled in panic. She hated it when someone yelled._

"_Please, you have to… __**please**__…"_

"_Hime-cha-"_

"_**Rukia!**__ You don't __**understand. **__He keeps __**devouring **__me and I'm scared that there won't be anything left after he's finished, so __**please…**__"_

"_Hime-chan…how could I ever do such a thing, how could I-"_

_Orihime roughly pushed the girl away and furiously stood up and took off her uniform, avoiding eye contact so as not to see the horror in Rukia's eye._

_The cool breeze slightly stung her wounds and she finally worked up the courage to turn forward and face Rukia._

"_Who…"_

"_Please Rukia…"_

_The taller shinigami stood up and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly with rage in her eye._

"_**Who did this to you! I won't let them get away with this! I swear I'll-"**_

"_Rukia-chan… please… I can't live with these scars any more…"_

"_**Hime-"**_

"_**If you can't do it. I will."**_

_Blinded with anger, Rukia couldn't react fast enough when Orihime grabbed for her sword and struck herself in the chest._

_Her only surviving gray-violet iris widened in stun as the limp body of her friend thumped to the ground, her sword sticking out through her back._

"_H-Hime-chan…"_

_She knelt back down and started to slowly shake the girl._

"_H-Hime… O-Orihime…"_

_Silent sobs racked her body as she cradled the girl in her arms._

'_Surely you were more hurt, more tired than anyone thought.'_

_Cries filled her cold, unresponsive room._

'_I'm sorry for not noticing.'_

_And she didn't know why, but during those hours when she sobbed over the girl's cold body, she never once called out for help._

'_I'll always be proud of you.'_

_

* * *

_

_It had been exactly five days since burying her friend's body._

_Many of the hollows taunted her that it was a foolish and time wasting thing to do, but they simply backed off when Rukia showed the brewing anger in her eye._

_For five straight days, she had visited her grave, killing any and all who dared to disturb her friend's peaceful slumber._

_At least in death, she could finally rest._

_Walking down the white corridors of Las Noches, Rukia mentally noted the presence of the quinto espada and planned to silently walk past him before the espada suddenly snorted._

"_Oi, girl"_

_Rukia didn't have the patience for his incompetence but stopped for him nonetheless._

"_I wonder if you're as fun as pet-sama"_

_Silence hung between them._

_What did he just say?_

_She tilted her head to the right, her lone eye burrowing into his._

"_What did you just say?"_

_The fifth espada waved his hands in a lazy manner._

"_I said…"_

_A __lecherous grin stretched widely across his thin face._

"_I was curious… if you were as fun to play with compared to your little-"_

_A blur of black reappeared in front of Nnoitra, the clashing of blades vibrated through the corridor as Nnoitra blocked the blade with his own, looking into a lone eye that slowly started to bleed black and glow silver._

_**"**__****__I'll_ kill you."

_(End flashback)_

_

* * *

_

She remembered the times where they had laughed and cried together before she had to take her smile away on that night.

"Hime-chan, look at me."

The smaller girl looked up at Rukia.

She had called her name so softly.

"I know it hurts princess, but just bare with me for a little bit."

A promising smile graced her lips and Orihime truly wanted to believe.

"I swear to you that I will **never **allow the past to repeat itself."

'_Ever.'_

_._

_._

_._

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

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**I apologize for the really late update, been suffering from writer's block and have just recently finished my homework load.**

**Because of the long absence, I've made this chapter especially long and tried to put in as much detail as possible.**

**And I'm rather satisfied with the end results.**

**The start was a bit slow, but luckily I started picking up at the middle of the chapter.**

**I'll just say, I don't hate Orihime…**

**Actually I do.**

**A lot.**

**But that's not the case; I was just hoping that I didn't make it seem as if she was being bashed in my story, as well as Rukia, I didn't want to make her so Mary-sue.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Read and Review.**

_**~Peace, M.**_


	10. Indigo Meditation

**Disclaimer: Does not own Bleach. Plot is mine, however.**

'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

* * *

_(Recap)_

_She remembered the times where they had laughed and cried together before she had to take her smile away on that night._

_"Hime-chan, look at me."_

_The smaller girl looked up at Rukia._

_She had called her name so softly._

_"I know it hurts princess, but just bare with me for a little bit."_

_A promising smile graced her lips and Orihime truly wanted to believe._

_"I swear to you that I will __**never **__allow the past to repeat itself."_

_'__Ever.'_

_

* * *

_

In her confined room, it was impossible to tell the difference between day and night; with darkness stretching over the four walls that boxed her in, Rukia sat crouched in the corner, furthest from the door. She felt herself raising her hand to her face, but could only see black.

Despite the suffocating darkness she plunged herself into.

This was the only place; only room that Rukia could call home.

This was her only home.

If she refused to accept even that, then she had nowhere to go to.

And in time, she came to be unaffected by the windowless walls, and had learnt to let the darkness soothe her.

In her state of reminiscence, her ear twitched at the sound of tapping footsteps and slid up the smoothly paved walls, straightening herself to her full height.

The door creaked open, letting the bright light from the corridor spill into the room, making visible the bed left untouched, the tray of food left uneaten and a neatly folded, black haori of the Sixth Division placed nicely on the bed. Rukia eye slightly squinted at the intrusion of the sudden light; staring at the visible borderline of light and dark in her abode.

Darkness always remained in the corners of her room; like they did in her heart.

Looking up, she saw the slender figure of the _Cuatro_ Espada; a white uniform in hand.

"You're back."

Sounds of her tapping sandaled feet resonated off the walls; Rukia saw the start of light and the end of darkness drawing closer and stopped herself.

She saw sea green eyes looking straight at her, despite that fact that she had yet to step into view.

They stood like statues; one in darkness, one in light.

"Enough of your obstinacy, trash; do not make me force the food down your throat."

"Don't be so mean Ulqui; ask nicely and maybe I'll consider it."

She felt herself biting her own tongue, Rukia didn't know where that spurt of humor came from.

She was never so casual with Ulquiorra in her time; sure, they came to some-what respect each other and used first name bases.

However, she was the one who created rain with the blood of his comrades.

(Although Rukia really didn't think he cared).

And he was the one who created lullabies with the screams of her comrades.

Respect for each other could only go so far, but they refrained from meddling with each other; and came to a silent agreement of their mutual respect.

Even so, it was never so casual.

Looking at his pale white face, she swore she could see his thick eyebrow twitch.

Nonetheless, he managed to keep his face void of emotions.

"Refrain from being so untailored with me, woman; I'm merely acting on Aizen-sama's orders, it is my duty to keep you alive, as troublesome as it is."

Rukia finally took a step over the line, letting the light gobble up her right leg, slowly making it's way to her waist, then finally to her pale face.

"Like a guardian angel?"

She stepped closer towards the Espada, the threshold of her room being the only barrier.

Sea green irises stared apathetically and threw the white uniform to Rukia.

"Your presence is required in the Espada's meeting room; dress quickly."

Rukia subconsciously felt the soft texture of the white uniform between her fingers; unabashed, she undressed where she stood; her free hand pulled at her black obi as she shouldered off the white shihakushou. The black and white shinigami uniform falling down to spread around her feet, like a ripple of water.

She felt the bandages that covered her constrict slightly as she inhaled deeply, before donning the white uniform.

Looking down at her new clothes, Rukia had the urge to raise her eyebrow.

The white garb looked like the pants of the Tres Espada; held in place by a black sash around her slender waist, the white material flowed down to her ankles, hiding her well-toned legs in a mass of white.

Her white jacket was ragged with an upturned collar, the inner lining was black and the sleeves were rolled up. It reminded Rukia of the one that the Kitty used to wear.

She felt the corner of her lips rise to show a playful grin.

"How do I look, Ulqui-chan?"

She just couldn't help herself.

The only reply he gave, however, was a turn of his lean body towards the meeting room.

"I don't have time for your games, woman; hurry and follow me."

There was a soft click of a closing door.

The Cuatro Espada and time traveler now stood side by side; Rukia turned her head to face him, her raven locks flowing behind her, clashing strongly with the much lighter shade of her uniform.

"I never knew you were such a gentleman, Ulqui; to escort a lady like this, but…"

She took a step forward.

"…I already know my way around here."

And shunpoed to the meeting room.

* * *

War taught her many things.

It taught her how to kill.

How to despair.

How to die.

And how to live.

It taught her how weak and brittle she was.

And in turn, she awakened herself and changed her fate.

However, life lessons were never free.

_War taught her many things._

So as repayment, she turned into a person who only knew war.

She only knew how to kill

Only knew how to maim.

Only knew the smell of freshly spilt blood.

And so, Rukia found it tragic when she felt more like herself amongst the killers.

This was what war did to her.

She didn't avert her eye from death.

Instead, she looked forward.

Forward at all the lives she had shattered.

This was the only thing she remembered.

Never to forget.

This place was the only home she could return to.

It probably didn't register to her as anything important. But it had stayed with her, a small wound among many small wounds.

In Rukia's youth and inexperience, she herself didn't even realize how those wounds she didn't feel during the times of violence, festered and rooted away, eating at her, during the times of peace.

"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived."

And in time, _he _was the only person who occupied her mind.

"What the _fuck_?"

Rukia turned to the rude interrupter and landed her single gray-violet eye on the Quinto Espada, Nnoitora Jiruga. She could already feel her fingers twitching for her sword.

"What's a _shinigami, _doing here?"

She didn't even have to turn her head to know who the other speaker was. After all, the person who spoke so primitively, second only to Nnoitora, was Grimmjow.

"Now, now be nice."

Rukia could feel the smirk on Aizen's face; his amusement oozed out of his whole being like a radiator.

"Minna-san, this here, is Rukia-chan from the future."

The ex-shinigami felt thirteen pairs of eyes stare at her… also including that of Tosen's.

Scanning the scene in front of her, she saw an empty seat in between Ulquiorra and Stark. It sometimes amazed her how fast these things got organized.

Rukia sashayed her way over to her seat, head snapping to her right when she felt something brush near her ass.

Staring into lecherous eyes of the Quinto, Rukia felt her self baring her canines and giving him an animalistic growl.

The matter of _killing _him was not so much the problem.

But she had more reserve then this and she refused to let him manipulate her with such pitiful antics; plus, she needed some time to plan his slow, torturous death.

Rukia sat down between the Quatro and Primera Espada.

"I've lived under your reign for thirty years, Aizen; stop treating me like a stranger."

Aizen closed his eyes in assurance.

"Well then, let us continue with this meeting."

* * *

If the man was curious of his triumph, he sure didn't show it.

Much to her distress, Rukia couldn't even read Aizen even with her advantage of future knowledge.

All she knew was that he was a man to be very vigilant of.

Walking back towards her room, Rukia stopped when she saw the tall and lanky figure of the Quinto Espada; his never-changing grin set on his face.

'_Maybe if I kill him here, no one will notice…'_

"It looks like I have a new irritation; don't think you actually mean anything here because Aizen accepted you, _shinigami_."

Gray-violet stared nonchalantly at him.

"Taking care of your ego is your own responsibility; you shouldn't come to me unless you want me to deflate it considerably."

Rukia had to admit that she felt a pang of satisfaction when she saw the corners of his lips draw down into a frown.

She closed her eyes in silent victory and continued to walk past him.

"Heard that little pet was under your care."

The echoing of foot steps came to a halt.

When Rukia turned around, she saw two unknown arrancars standing behind Nnoitora, holding Orihime's arms.

Nnoitora's grin was back in place.

"Just the right timing."

His grin only broadened when he saw her lone iris following his hand intently, he teasingly slid it around the healer's shoulders; feeling the small tingles of pleasure coarse through his body when he felt her tremble.

"Rukia-chan, meet Loly and Menoly; they'll be pet-sama's new guardian after I'm through with you."

The short arrancar with lengthy, pigtailed black hair and light-pink eyes growled at the taller Espada.

"Oi! Becoming this bitch's guardian wasn't part of the dea-"

A looming figure blocked her view of the tall Espada's back. Loly saw a silver blade glistening in the light and striking down in front of her. She felt warm liquid trickle out at the corners of her mouth, and felt the room tilting to the right as her body hit the cemented white floor with a dull thud.

In her light-pink eyes, she saw a beautiful clash of solid white and flowing red.

"**Lo!-"**

Gray-violet turned to the blond arrancar, her sword cutting at the petite frame with a horizontal strike to the abdomen. A single eye glazed over unflinchingly even when tendrils of red sprayed onto her cheek, creating a clash with pale skin, gray-violet and crimson.

Turning around, Nnoitora shoved the curvaceous teenager away as Rukia jumped into the air. He immediately reached for his sword, his single slit eye following the airborne frame of the shinigami, her katana raised above her head for a strike.

He saw carnage in her lone iris; burning with bloodlust.

Nnoitora swore he could see the whites of her eye bleeding black.

"That is enough."

A loud clang echoed throughout the now crimson corridor.

Steel clashed against steel, shaking with silent force.

Rukia glanced up to see those mesmerizing sea green irises.

"Out of my way, Cuatro."

She slightly pushed down on his sword and spiked her reiatsu higher.

"As much as that fool is useless; I don't think it's in your best interest to start a scene."

Peach pink lips raised in a growl; showing abnormally large canines in a threatening manner.

However, logic quickly took over instincts and the heavy tension in the air lifted.

Rukia straightened herself, sheathed back her sword and wiped the blood off her cheeks with her bloodied sleeve.

Without a word, she slowly walked towards the younger girl, who had fainted during the conflict.

Carrying her bridal style, Rukia didn't make eye contact with any of the two Espadas, nor did she spare a glance to the two bloody heaps on the floor.

Definitely…

Rukia made her way towards Orihime's room.

'_I'm definitely going to kill you again.'_

_

* * *

_

It was only her seventh day here, and already Aizen had called for a personal audience.

'_I bet it's because of that Quinto.'_

The cold metal door knobs, that opened to his throne room, almost felt warm against her chilling hands as Rukia pushed them open.

The first thing, or rather person, she saw; was Aizen in all of his arrogant glory.

As she stepped towards him, he spoke through his wide grin.

"I heard that you fought with Nnoitora. "

She hated those damn eyes; those eyes that had always held mirth as they looked on the suffering of her and her friends.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_She always hated going into his room._

_And to be honest, terror ruled over any other emotion when it came to him.  
_

_A place where he could play as much as he wanted without the outside world knowing of the unfolding horrors._

_With walls that were as cold and unforgiving as its dweller was._

_She felt like they were cornering her and baring all of her deepest fears to be seen._

_Those of which Aizen manipulated on his free will._

_The true demon's domain._

_And at first, she didn't know why she did it._

_But here she was, very much in that very same room._

"_Come closer Rukia-chan."_

_His voice was like velvet._

_Wrapping itself around her in an attempt to soothe her, before closing in and suffocating her._

_Nonetheless, she felt her sandaled feet taking a step forward towards him._

_Looking into his deep chocolate irises, she felt cold sweat breaking out._

_If she had to give fear a name; then it was definitely one Aizen Sosuke._

_She knelt in front of his throne._

"_Reporting on the mission of-"_

"_What happened to your eye, Rukia-chan?"_

_She bit her tongue and suddenly felt a surge of rage boil through her body._

_Rukia closed her eyes tightly to try and stop the images from flooding back to her._

_In a room so cold and dark, Rukia could still feel the leather straps digging harshly into her wrists and ankles as she struggled furiously against them; she could still feel the needle probing in her right eye; feeling the searing pain in her iris as an unknown cobalt blue liquid coursed through her optical nerves. What ever was inside that syringe, it effectively changed her gray-violet into the color of blood._

_That sanctimonious_ _bastard._

_She suddenly stiffened when she felt the presence of the demon closing in on her; the feeling of his hand ghosting around her._

_Rukia didn't dare to look up, but she knew that he was directly in front of her._

_The smooth hand eventually gripped her chin and tilted her deathly, pale face for him to see._

"_Hm… I liked your normal shade better."_

_Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated to nothing but a dot._

_Paralyzed in fear, Rukia felt helplessness and panic wash over her trembling body as those boney fingers hovered over her eye, reaching out fro them._

_The last thing she saw out through her right eye was his sickeningly sweet smile._

_(End Flashback)_

_

* * *

_

"I can't believe you're treating me like some idiotic school-girl."

Rukia jumped over to a navy blue cylinder that was situated next to Aizen's throne. Slender fingers brushed over the top to reveal the crystalline sphere of the hogyoku floating in the midst of nothing.

"It's crucial to keep the secret weapon polished and clean; letting that _thing _around her will only demote the quality of her usefulness."

She feathered her palm over the cylinder once more to close it.

"I'd killed that thing already, if you hadn't needed him."

She didn't miss the slight rise in his eyebrows.

"You're mistaken, dear Rukia-chan; he is of no use to me."

Rukia gave a small snort.

"Even rooks have some use to a king, Aizen; that Quinto will make a good meat shield."

His chuckle bounced off the walls.

"A very interesting point there, Rukia-chan."

Rukia narrowed her eye.

"You may not trust me Aizen, but right now, I'm the only one who holds the key to you're triumph; not the hogyoku or any of your Espada's."

A playful grin stretched over peach-tinted skin.

"What if I don't trust you?"

The man was obviously playing with her; accepting her in, but also keeping her at bay.

Rukia stared directly into his eyes, despite the chilling feeling at her core.

"You have no choice."

.

.

.

_To be continued…_

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EDITED: Jan. 23. 2011 12:22 AM**  
**

**Apologize for the sloppy and short chapter; but do not stress!**

**I will ****definitely**** edit this and make it longer and more Maya-like.**

**The update was delayed greatly because I'm currently not in my home state.**

**But thank you all for your co-operation.**

**The revealed events so far in order of occurrence in the future (the _ means it has yet to be revealed) :**

-Aizen goes to Hueco Mundo.

-Kuchiki Clan unadopts Rukia.

_**-Ate Watermelons with Toushiro.**_

_**-Sparred with Soifon.**_

_**-Learnt medical knowledge under Unohana Retsu. **__**(Not necessarily in order.)**_

_**-Fed the carps with Joushiro.**_

_**-Continued to go to Hisana's shrine with Byakuya. **_

-War between Soul Society and Aizen begin.

-Unohana Retsu: Died during an unknown medical mission; beginning of the war.

-Rangiku's death: Very minor and by Tia's fraccion.

-Ukitake Joushiro: Died by Tuberculosis on a rainy day; beginning of war and barely saw action.

-Kuchiki Byakuya: Killed by Gin on a rainy night; middle of war.

-Kyouraku Shunsui: Killed by Vasto Lorde's trying to protect Rukia; middle of war.

-Rukia, Soifon and a few other Shinigami get captured by Aizen and thrown into a cell.

-Orihime Inoue gets captured and used as a healer.

-Soifon devises plan to escape but gets caught.

-Soifon was experimented by Szayel and had her tendons cut and went blind.

-Aizen obtains the Oin.

-Orihime Inoue became useless.

-Yamamoto Genryusai: Killed by Aizen using _; peak of war and rapid downfall of Soul Society.

-Hitsugaya Toushiro: stabbed Hinamori; right arm cut by _; captured by Szayel Apporo, killed by Szayel.

-Hinamori Momo: Stabbed by Toushiro in Aizen's place; experimented on by Szayel when she was barely alive; killed by Szayel.

-Rukia forcefully becomes a captain under Aizen; because she wanted to live.

-Rukia get's experiment on by Szayel; injecting liquid in her right eye (which turns crimson).

-After reporting a mission to Aizen; right eye gets gauged because Aizen didn't favor the eye color.

-Sent to training in the nest full of adjuchas.

-Heavily wounded, Rukia goes hysterical and Sode no Shirayuki manifests; bankai achieved.

-Zaraki Kenpachi: Viewed by Captain Rukia and three other nameless shinigami; killed by Vasto Lorde's.

-Rukia is stationed to patrol the ruin of Kuchiki Manor.

-Ichimaru Gin: Killed by Rukia; avenges brother.

-Orihime Inoue: constantly raped and tortured by Nnoitra.

-Orihime: begged Rukia to kill her but eventually did it herself.

-Rukia buries Orihime: kills Nnoitora.

-Kurosaki Ichigo: Hollowfied and working as Aizen's Lieutenant.

**Just to let you know, this isn't everything, just showed the ones that appeared in case you readers get confused.**

**Ask questions if you don't understand anything!**

**Read and Review.**

_**Peace,**_

_**M.**_


	11. The Cuatro

**Disclaimer: I own the plot, not Bleach; that honor goes to Tite Kubo.**

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'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

'_**Emphasis during flashbacks'**_

* * *

_(Recap)_

_"You may not trust me Aizen, but right now, I'm the only one who holds the key to you're triumph; not the hogyoku or any of your Espada's."_

_A playful grin stretched over peach-tinted skin._

_"What if I don't trust you?"_

_The man was obviously playing with her; accepting her in, but also keeping her at bay._

_Rukia stared directly into his eyes, despite the chilling feeling at her core._

_"You have no choice."_

* * *

_A tragic story; a broken fairytale._

_Instead of an innocent, hopeful heroine looking for her knight in shining armor._

_The female protagonist was a monster in disguise, having torn apart body parts with her bare hands. Hope or anything else as trivial was long forgotten and the thought of her knight in shining armor long gone._

_Instead of the baby blue sky looking down upon lush green meadows, sprinkled with vivid flowers,_

_Her world was nothing but black and white, her heart having already accustomed to the lifelessness._

_Nothing but an empty shell that harbored rage, fury, and wrath._

_These were the only emotions that had once filled Rukia's soul; a walking entity of brewing hatred, whilst dwelling in the nest of death._

_She had created a solid wall around her and the outside world, secretly worrying of its stability in case the darkness seeped between the cracks to poison her heart._

_The war took her world._

_She came to hate war._

_The smell of war._

_The sound of war._

_So why..._

_Why was she so obsessed with it?_

_So obsessed with him._

_The one who created the war._

_Why was she sleeping under the same roof?_

_Why was she talking with the very monsters that killed her comrades?_

_And why was she so –dare she say- comfortable in this war-torn world of hers?_

_And this was one of the confessions that had managed to linger on the tip of her tongue, back then and even to this day; a confession that she fared not to bring to light._

_For She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of a world there was before her one._

_Rukia remembered wishing for those times of peace and tranquility, when in truth, she couldn't even remember them anymore._

_She was gambling with the devil._

_And she really wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

After almost losing control in the hallway, Rukia had kept a closer look out for the orange-haired princess.

She had lost her friend once, she wouldn't let it happen again.

Walking down the white corridor; the sudden sound of a thud brought Rukia out of her thoughts.

Snapping her head toward the source of the disturbance, she saw a little child on the floor.

Correction, a little Arrancar child.

Rukia brought her full attention to the boy.

He had a thin frame and a short stature; with short, messy black hair that clashed with his deathly pale face, his panic-stricken lavender eyes were wide as they stared into hers. Finally the hollow remains of a hair-clip was visible.

'_A child in Hueco Mundo?'  
_

Certainly a rarity, but not something she hasn't witnessed before.

They were _delicacies _of war, usually brought by a higher ranked Arrancar as a play-thing - for the children, death would've been a salvation.

Gray-violet followed the form of the small boy as he stood up from the floor and flattened himself as much as he could to the wall behind him.

Rukia could see the faintest of trembles in the outline of his form and softened her gaze.

"Are you alright?"

She out-stretched her hand and took a step towards him but stopped when he flattened himself even more against the wall -his trembles becoming more visible.

"P-please don't kill me."

A barely audible plead came from his dry, cracked lips.

In surprise, Rukia stepped back to create distance between them; during the war she had killed many children, but to see one looking straight at her and pleading for her to spare his life was gut-wrenching.

The boy slipped away at her hesitation. However, the resonating footsteps stopped too earlier for Rukia's liking.

"A soft one for kids, aren't ya?"

Her ears twitched at the familiar voice.

Glancing to the side, Rukia saw the tousled light-blue hair; the narrow teal-blue eyes; the open hakama that revealed his tanned, chiseled body.

The girl felt a grin etching its way on her face.

"Kitty."

Despite the fact that the Sexta Espada had hurt many of her friends and that he had been a difficult obstacle to jump over. Whilst living in Hueco Mundo, he was the only person Rukia really could relate to.

Call it comradeship, companionship or just two lonely, chaotic souls bonding if you may, however, Rukia knew that they had a rather deep connection -something that had managed to surprise even her.

The elegant figure saw a deep frown set between his brows and a snarl making its way on his lips.

"You trynna pick a fight here?"

The Arrancar boy, who was stuck in the middle, quickly tailed his way out of the possible war field.

"Put away your claws, I'm not here to fight with any of you."

The sound of running footsteps bounced throughout the wall in a steady rhythm before going silent. Another took its place with heavy steps as Grimmjow made his way towards her.

Gray-violet looked up to gaze into teal-blue.

Rukia felt rough hands grabbing the front of her identical hakama and bringing her face dangerously closer to Grimmjow's.

"I don't care what the hell happened in the fucking future, you're still a _shinigami, _so don't act all buddy-buddy with me, got it?"

Through his beautifully mesmerizing teal-blue eyes, Grimmjow saw the absolute absence of emotion.

She was just _staring _at him.

And the most uncomfortable thing was that he felt as if her lone eye was unraveling his deepest thoughts; breaking down his walls that were built up of past corpses who were of allies and companions alike. He didn't like it at all.

Time froze just like that.

_**Tick.**_

_**Toc.**_

_**Tick.**_

_**Toc.**_

Her nonchalant response was what broke the heavy silence.

"Well, we weren't exactly buddies, but you liked me some-what."

The Espada blinked at her sudden remark before snatching his hand away from her collar.

"W-What are you on about, woman!"

Rukia reached to casually smoothen out the creases on her uniform.

"You're a big talker, but you're nothing but a cute kitty on the inside."

_What the hell did she just say?_

Grimmjow felt blood coursing through his veins.

This-This shinigami _bitch _just called him a fucking _cute_ _kitty_!

The taller man felt like absolutely obliterating this woman and ripping out what was left of her freakin' eye, but he dared not to get closer to her.

There was something not _right _about her; how she stood; how she looked; how she carried herself as if she was one of _them_, but at the same time, not.

The Sexta Espada had to question just what kind of power she harbored for her to have such… liberty even when she was right in the middle of the enemy's base.

It was at this time when a familiar reiatsu loomed over theirs.

"It seems as though you made friends, woman."

Ulquiorra.

The mood in the atmosphere took a drastic turn at his statement.

"I do not consider those who hurt my loved ones as friends, Ulquiorra; we all had mutual respect for each other, and that is the only thing keeping me from killing each and every last one of you while you're still weak, so please do not press any further before I reconsider that thought."

Either from fear or excitement he didn't know, but Grimmjow felt his inner animalistic instincts tremble at her murderous intent.

Rukia silently walked past the two with a solemn look on her face.

"'While we're still weak?' on what grounds do you think you can kill us?"

Ulquiorra didn't turn around as he spoke, his monotonous voice never wavering; but he didn't fail to register her little threat. Ulquiorra wasn't foolish enough to underestimate an enemy without having observed them first.

At his comment, Rukia stopped and turned to look at them; her gaze lingering at his back before moving to Grimmjow's face.

"The dog inside of me wants to break free and sink it's fangs into enemies and allies alike; it's what turned me into a monster… it's what Aizen turned me into."

Her solemn expression was replaced with something that Grimmjow couldn't describe.

She looked almost…_scared._

"The leash isn't short enough to contain me and it's only a matter of time before it snaps."

Grimmjow followed her figure as she continued to walk away and didn't even look at Ulquiorra when he did the same and walked passed him.

The Sexta had so many questions running through his mind.

_Why did she give herself to the enemies?_

_Why did she put in the effort of restraining herself?_

_Why did she come back to the place she loathed?_

And the question that he wanted to ask the most; the question that tempted him to run up and interrogate her.

_Why did she look so scared?_

_For herself?_

_For her friends?_

_For her enemies?_

_Why?_

But there was one thing that managed to keep all of Grimmjow's curiosity in check; one thing that managed to root him to the spot and stop him from asking; one thing that had him growling but not biting.

'_Damn that bloody eye.'_

* * *

If she could, she would of have forgiven them.

If she could, she would of have forgotten them.

If she could, she would of have given up all the power she had attained and her one measly body to get them back again.

But as she stayed longer inside the walls of Las Noches, her path wavered and she felt like giving up.

After all, what was the point in getting back her future by waging the very war that had taken her past?

She felt tired of it all and just wondered what it would feel like if everything simply came to a stop.

Resting her hand on the white door knob, Rukia carefully twisted it and pushed it open.

"Hime-chan?"

he heard her voice slightly cracked and willed herself to bury her turmoil from showing. Walking in, she panned her head around the spacious room and saw a single couch; so lifeless.

"Is that you Kuchiki-san?"

A mellow voice called out and with the sound of tapping shoes, Orihime came to greet her visitor.

Rukia felt herself smiling; to her, it was a relief that Orihime didn't break and that she still believed in her.

"Yeah, you want to go outside for a bit?"

Orihime froze at the older woman's proposal.

"O-Outside?"

Gray-violet softened when they saw the slight fear in the other's eyes.

"It's okay, I promise to protect you with my life."

Delicate hands reached out to grab onto white sleeves.

"It's not that I doubt your promise, I…"

Rukia felt the strength in Orihime's hold weaken and eventually pull back.

"…I just don't want to see you hurting."

"Hurting? I can handle a few scratches you know."

Ginger locks swayed from side to side in a disapproving shake.

"You know that's not what I mean."

She felt as if she was drowning in a sea of gentle gray.

'_Since when did the little princess mature so much?'_

Rukia had to wonder.

Resting her hand on the younger girls head, she patted the maple-colored hair soothingly.

"You grew up a lot haven't you, Hime-chan; thank you for caring about me."

Her hand was so delicate when handling her; as if she would break.

'_Was this what it felt like to have a mother?'_

The fluttering sensation in her stomach went away as Orihime saw the outstretched hand before her and looked up at Rukia's face.

Was it wrong for her to feel so safe?

Because right now, looking into the shinigami's eye, Orihime felt as if she was confronted with God.

So certain; so powerful; so sturdy.

She felt like she could get through this so long as she continued to follow behind Rukia and gaze at her small, yet strong back.

Orihime lifted her own hand and rested them into slightly larger ones; she felt slender fingers curling snuggly around it.

'_So warm…'_

The teen gave a squeak when she felt Rukia's arms encircling around her waist.

"Come on, we'll never get out of this place if we walk."

Shunpoing out of the building, Orihime had to wonder if it was always this dizzying.

* * *

_"What if I don't trust you?"_

_"You have no choice."_

He never would've predicted this outcome in a million years.

A humorous one definitely, but equally dangerous.

Did the girl come back for revenge?

Did she come back in hopes to change her future?

Just how did she get here and why?

Moreover, why would she come to ally with his side if he was the one who caused her future's demise in the first place?

'_Questions, questions.'_

So many questions, yet very little-to-none answers.

'_Ulquiorra wasn't doing a very good job tailing her, was he?'_

A feral grin stretched along his face.

Looks like he'd have to make a few adjustments in his plan; a pity too, he favored his original one.

Aizen leaned back in his chair whilst drumming his fingers on the armrest.

During the girl's stay, he had yet to figure out why the shinigami had brought her human friend with her. The auburn-haired creature wasn't initially a part of his plan before.

Unless it was a sign?

The ex-Taichou knew for sure that the shinigami had lied when she had said that she had no bonds with the ryoka girl.

That human had to have a reason for being here.

'_But what?'_

So far, Aizen could only think of two options.

The girl being a trump card could be the truth; however, knowing that the Kuchiki noble still considered her as a friend, she could of have made a very large leap by actually bringing the girl here with no intentions of letting them use her.

'_Perhaps a reverse Trojan Horse?'_

Or the Kuchiki was willing to let everything loose, going as far as acting as a catalyst to wage war then tie everything up in one go.

Either way, Rukia Kuchiki was in the middle of it all and Aizen just wondered how on earth the girl was going to get out of it alive.

A screen materialized in front of him and showed the blur of the time-traveler shunpoing out of the building with a splotch of orange in her arms.

He'd have to stay alert around her.

"It seems as though it's hard to get a clear observation out of her, am I right Ulquiorra?"

The new presence stepped up beside Aizen's chair and stared at the screen.

"The progress is very slow; the Kuchiki woman is overly cautious when I'm around."

Silence befell between the two before Aizen pointed out one of his own observations with his voice laced with amusement.

"'The Kuchiki woman'?-"

His chocolate brown irises never left the screen and only danced with mirth.

"-She must of have garnered some of your interest if you're calling her by anything other than _trash_, ne Ulquiorra?"

Aizen's only reply was silence.

'_Amusing.'_

He'd have fun monitoring this little _stray_ that managed to weave inside his walls of comfort.

'_Amusing indeed.'_

_._

_._

_._

_To be continued…_

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**Fir****stly:**

**I have no religious background, but putting aside the irony, My prayers and condolence go out to all those in Japan who are facing one of the most darkest moments of their lives -if not the worst- and have managed to unite the world through one of the most tragic events in history.**

**~기도 를 빕니다 .**  
**~私は彼らのために祈る .**  
**~ We need Peace . **

**Secondly: **

**I apologize over and over again for the very late update. I've been having minor writer's block and I've started on a new story (Oh, Kami-Sama!) and another one that I will post after I'm done with drafting. Thank you to all those who have kept a look out on this story! **

**~Peace, **

**M.**


	12. The One Who Sought

**Disclaimer: I own the plot, not Bleach; that honor goes to Tite Kubo.**

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'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

'_**Emphasis during flashbacks'**_

* * *

_(Recap)_

_"'The Kuchiki woman'?-"_

_His chocolate brown irises never left the screen and only danced with mirth._

_"-She must of have garnered some of your interest if you're calling her by anything other than __trash__, ne Ulquiorra?"_

_Aizen's only reply was silence._

_'__Amusing.'_

_He'd have fun monitoring this little __stray__ that managed to weave inside his walls of comfort._

_'__Amusing indeed.'_

* * *

Rukia's first dance of white ripple seemed to have gotten considerably stronger. A literal wave of ice could be seen spanning very widely across the whole of Soul Society; buildings and streets were coated under thick layers of transparent ice, leaving a chilly atmospherein its wake.

Walking down the frozen streets, Ichigo took note of all the shinigami who were breaking away at the ice from the blanketed buildings, their breaths coming out in smoky fogs and their perspiration freezing the moment they surfaced.

Apart from the sound of cracking ice, everything was silent.

Maybe from shock, maybe from fear or even both, he didn't know, but Ichigo was no fool; he knew what was going on even amidst the total lack of sound.

Not only did Kuchiki Rukia dare to go after the Captain Commander's life, but she had betrayed Soul Society. As a crucial ally and a formidable enemy, it seemed as though Rukia was steering Soul Society along a path that had no clear outcome and because of such, every body -every _thing-_ had come to a standstill in unknown terror.

'_Why did she do it?'_

'_What was she thinking?'_

And the question that everyone was prodding on right this minute, even himself.

'_What's going to happen?'_

Thinking over all the possibilities and risks, Ichigo simply couldn't come to a conclusion; in frustration he ruffled his orange locks habitually and lifted his head up; eyes widened at what he saw –who he saw.

"B-Byakuya!"

The nobleman had been inspecting the damage at his Division Barracks alongside a group of his squadrons before he heard his named being called; turning to look at the source, Byakuya saw Kurosaki Ichigo running towards him.

"Have you heard anything new?"

Byakuya felt as if he was drowning in that scorching gaze.

How?

How could they hold so much determination and resolve when it was clearly against all odds?

How could they still search for the lost humanity in the souls of the fallen?

The boy was always running after what he thought was right and if he had to, he would go against the whole of the world just to bring justice to the ones he loved. As a man who showed very little emotion, whenever Kuchiki Byakuya stared into those blazing eyes belonging to the human, somewhere deep inside the darkest corners of his heart that were layered between the milestones of loyalty and order, Byakuya knew that he could never display the level of justice the human shinigami wielded.

Duty was his anchor, so though he would never admit it, Byakuya was internally grateful to Ichigo for protecting and believing in his sister.

"The Captain Commander has not given out any commands as of yet."

The amber-haired boy gave a slight frown; it seemed as if situations weren't as dire as he had expected if there were no actions being taken.

"It's already been several days, there's no way there could have been no orders."

He hadn't been a shinigami for long, but Kurosaki Ichigo already held a firm grip on how Soul Society functioned.

"The Captain Commander is still planning on the next move; none of the Captains have been notified of any commands so far."

Secretly in his mind, the Sixth Division Captain left open the possibility of having to be ordered to cut down his sister. It was as if the Gods were testing him to see which path he would take; he just hoped that he would be able to make the right decision when the time comes.

Staring at the distant, conflicted eyes of the younger boy, Byakuya couldn't help but ask.

"What are your plans, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Would he still press on that Rukia was innocent?

Even when she had aimed for the life of the Captain Commander?

Even when she had kidnapped his human friend and taken her to the enemy?

Even when she had changed so much?

The boy stared at him in confusion.

"Do you still have faith in the girl?"

Ichigo's eyes shifted to look directly into his, an almost confused expression swimming in them.

"What do I need faith for?"

The remark slightly took Byakuya by surprise.

"I already know that Rukia would never do this without having a plan; she would never betray Soul Society or the ones she loved."

Keeping the discussion of his sister to the side, Byakuya couldn't help but feel a slight irritation rise up within him.

"The world does not function the way you believe it does; those who have confronted war can never be the same, they can never return to who they once were."

Slight annoyance was heard in the nooks and crannies of Byakuya's velvet-like voice but the boy held his gaze.

"You're probably right-"

A neat brow lifted in question.

"-but I don't think Rukia wanted to return to what she had been before, more like adapt from what she had become. I saw into her eyes…"

Ichigo gave a pause at this remark; his shoulders rose and sunk as he breathed in deeply before continuing.

"…I saw into her and I knew in an instant that she had definitely changed; like you said, war had chipped away at her heart but because it had worn her out, I promised myself that I would embrace her pains so that she wouldn't have to burn herself all the time by bottling it all in-"

It was at this time when the boy gave a small smile.

"-I have to be the house she returns, I have to remain strong for her so that whenever she's finished with the day's work, I can shoulder all of her sufferings and ease her of her burdens."

It baffled him, how was it that the boy who had barely known Rukia had a deeper insight on her than her own brother did?

Byakuya felt like he was being educated by a superior and although he had never been the one to accept being outdone very well, he couldn't help but allow it to all sink in; he admitted to himself that Kurosaki Ichigo had very well bested him.

And Byakuya really wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

"So what's the plan, Yama-jii?"

The sakkat-wearer tossed the question with an easy tone, one that betrayed his expression of inner conflict.

Everybody with a clear head on their shoulders already accepted the fact that this was not an issue to be dealt lightly.

As an eerie silence hung in the air, the doors of the Assembly Hall suddenly creaked open to let in a new entity.

Ichigo walked in and quietly stood next to Ukitake.

He took a glance towards Yamamoto's direction before slowly panning his vision at the faces of everyone in the hall.

They were holding in their breaths whilst waiting for commands; waiting for the King's orders.

"All able bodies are to stay stationary in Soul Society."

The King's order was placed, and it was duty for the others to obey.

"Stay stationary?"

All except one.

Several heads turned towards the speaker.

"Rukia is in the middle of the enemy's territory; shouldn't you be sending people out to retrieve her?"

The old man opened his eyes to look at the young substitute shinigami; as a human who had barely had been able to live a half of his own life, he was painfully naïve.

"It is obvious that Aizen will not trust her, we can assume for now that any immediate attacks on Soul Society will not occur, therefore there is no reason for the others to go in to retrieve a traitor."

Ichigo took a step forward, his golden-amber irises widening at the elder's presumption.

**"Rukia is not a traitor! She would never betray her friends for power!"**

He stood there, defiance shining bright in his eyes; he wasn't going to just leave her there. The Captain Commander's reiatsu spiked considerably, making it hard for the lieutenants to breathe properly.

**"The girl went there on her own accord!"**

His voice boomed throughout the hall, restraint and impatience was laced in every word he spoke. The captains looked over towards the human boy and wanted to restrain him from speaking any further.

But they didn't.

And the only reason they didn't was because none of them felt that they had the right to do so. The boy was protecting his friend; he believed in her and he believed in their friendship; as dead humans who have rotted away between the milestones of honor and nobility; as dead humans who have cut down one too many former souls to care, on what grounds could they refrain him from protecting his friend?  
Right now, in their eyes, he was the only noble soul in the hall.

**"Enough of your foolish naïveté; do you think this is some kind of fairy tale? That morality can be found in everybody?"**

With every word, the air got harder to breathe; the pressure on everybody's chest got heavier and Ichigo could feel himself sweating in buckets from such a strong presence

**"Rukia isn't like that! Do you know what she thought of Soul Society? How precious it was to her? For something like power and destruction, she would never-"**

There was the sound of sudden thunder crackling in the hall, the piercing sound of the wooden staff connecting with the floor cut off Ichigo's protest; Yamamoto spoke in a quiet voice.

"As the girl said for herself, war changes people, boy; tell me, how many wars have you been through? How many dead bodies have you seen? Do you believe that because of that one measly girl, a whole squad must die? The sense of justice you speak of reflects the need to sacrifice the lives of hundreds for the life of one."

Ichigo was rooted to the spot and could only seem to look at his feet.

It was true.

Devastating wars that could've ended the world were only read in text books.

The many dead corpses he ever saw were in photos in history books.

But a life of another was a precious thing and the lives of his friends were more-so worth protecting.

"You're right, this body has never been to war and these eyes have only seen the death of one person."

As like a child's would when caught in the act of misdeed, his mellow voice spoke out quietly; Ichigo lifted his head and stared with unwavering determination into the opened eyes of the elder in front of him before continuing.

"But that person was dear to me and I promised myself that I would never allow any of my loved ones to suffer alone, not as long as I'm still alive."

The captains stared at the boy through soft gazes and in all honesty, they felt that he shouldn't have had to protect his friend like this; it was like leaving a small child to defend for itself when it should have been the responsibility of the adults to stop the problems from getting so far.

"Please…"

It was a small voice but it managed to break everybody's heart.

"…Just give me a chance to bring her back."

"Absolutely not."

Resounding.

Final.

Merciless.

Yamamoto's expression was forbidding and stern, wrinkled from too many years of hardship.

**"Why the hell not!"**

Irritation came back full force; Ichigo could barely contain the anger inside of him -like some wild beast howling behind a cage made of sticks and stones.

"If you're worried about wasting away the life of your Captains and Lieutenants then I'll do it by myself! Why won't you let me go and save her? Is she that expendable to you?"

"She is not your concern!-"

"Obviously she's not yours either…"

Something inside of him wanted to growl out at their arrogance; it was ready to rip apart their so-called justice and shove it down their throats. Their very own soldier was possibly going to die trying to change her doomed future and yet they stood there so nonchalantly.

It disgusted him.

"Boy, there is no reason for you to run off pursuing futile interests."

Ichigo could barely register the pain of his nails digging into his palms as he clenched his fists tightly; his eyes were practically burning with anger and a hard tick was evident in his jaw.

"I'm running after it because clearly, none of you are willing to do it yourselves."

Small, quiet, deadly.

Even if her childhood friend would decide to leave her behind; even if her own brother decided to abandon her and even if the whole world were to turn its back on her, it would never be able to convince Ichigo to do the same.

Never.

"I'll save her, or die trying."

With that, he left the Assembly Hall in silence.

* * *

He had to cool down, otherwise, he felt as if he would go back in there and do something he would really regret.

How could they just deny him like that?

How could they let her go like that?  
It was like signing her to a death contract in cold blood.

Was Rukia not significant enough?

Did her one life really mean nothing to them?

Thinking about it made him angry all over again.

Punching the wall in frustration, Ichigo bent over and stared at the small crater made on the surface.

He could feel a small sensation of relief wash over in his heart when he saw the dent made by his fist.

So he punched again.

And again.

And again.

How they were acting was no different from Aizen torturing her.

The people of Soul Society had closed their doors and locked them, refusing to let the soul-battered Rukia in.

And why?

Because they were scared of her.

They were unwilling to listen to her.

They were too frightened to even look at her, let alone speak to her.

They just couldn't see that she needed shelter, that she needed someone to be her pillar of support.

She was searching for comfort in the arms of people she knew and lost, yet they were tightly crossed.

He continued to punch until the skins of his knuckles started to tear off and began to bleed, leaving bloody prints on the wall where he kept on striking.

'_This is nothing.'_

Nothing compared to what she experienced.

Suffering; anger; sadness; loneliness; trauma.

The torment that he felt in his heart right now wouldn't have even scratched the surface of her pain.

Thinking back to his nightmare, the image of her pale, tear-stained face wouldn't scrub clean from his mind; Ichigo tightly closed his eyes to try and block out the picture.

'_Rukia… you're strong… so please don't show me that kind of face, because it's killing me inside.'_

"Oi, Ichigo!"

Head snapped up from the sudden voice calling out for him.

"Renji?"

Indeed, the crimson-haired Lieutenant of the Sixth Division was running towards him. Ichigo straightened himself when Renji reached his side.

The teenager saw brown irises staring at his battered and bleeding knuckles before moving up to meet his eyes.

"Why were you looking for me?"

The slightest traces of restrain could be heard in Ichigo's voice. Renji had been present in the Hall as well, one of many who stayed silent during the whole ordeal.

"I give you credit for the balls you showed to stand up to Captain Commander Yamamoto that way, if I were you I would've been scared shitless."

Renji saw the empty look given to him by Ichigo and could almost feel his soul shrinking under his gaze. Even without that damn stare, he already felt like crap for not having the guts to protect his friend; it was like Rukia's execution all over again, only it burned worse because he couldn't find the courage to step up when he had the chance, but that was why he was here.

"I guess in the middle of your speech, something moved the Captain Commander."

There was a flash of confusion in Ichigo's eyes.

'He wants to gather up a team."

.

.

.

_To be continued…_

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**I tried to update within the month –keyword: tried.**

**I don't really lie how this chapter turned out, so I might edit this again. As for 'Oh, Kami-Sama!', chapter 3 will come out very soon ^^, please wait a bit longer.  
Read and Review :D!**

Note: A big, BIG thank you to Sponges Fan for her/his very critical and appriciated comment!**  
**

**Peace,**

**M.**


	13. The One Who Confessed

_(Recap)_

_"I give you credit for the balls you showed to stand up to Captain Commander Yamamoto that way, if I were you I would've been scared shitless."_

_Renji saw the empty look given to him by Ichigo and could almost feel his soul shrinking under his gaze. Even without that damn stare, he already felt like crap for not having the guts to protect his friend; it was like Rukia's execution all over again, only it burned worse because he couldn't find the courage to step up when he had the chance, but that was why he was here._

_"I guess in the middle of your speech, something moved the Captain Commander."_

_There was a flash of confusion in Ichigo's eyes._

_'He wants to gather up a team."_

* * *

"A-ah! Kuchiki-san, come in."

Orihime stared at the unresponsive woman before reaching her hand out to gently grab Rukia's wrist –pulling her inside the room.

Registering the small click of the closing door behind her, Rukia leant against the wall and weakly allowed herself to slide down, bringing the surprised princess down with her.

With her large gray irises shining innocently, Orihime looked into Rukia's and was only met with an empty gaze; she noticed how the shoulders were slumped by an unseen weight.

"Are you alright, Kuchiki-san? Are you hurt somewhere?"

She was about to let go of Rukia's wrist, intending to reach up and touch the petal hairclip, before being stopped.

"It's alright; I'm not hurt, just a little tired."

Rukia saw the worry reflected in Orihime's eyes and forced a small smile to form. She gave a firm squeeze to the slender wrist before letting her hand drop. Feeling at ease when she saw that the girl was not going for her Shun Shun Rikka, Rukia rested her head against the wall behind her, her lone eye staring at the texture-less ceiling.

Orihime fidgeted with her hands at the uncomfortable silence that had settled between the two.

"Ne, Hime-chan?"

Orange locks shifted as the girl turned to face Rukia; it took a while before she continued to speak.

"I'm sorry…"

Orihime hung her head low at the soft mellow apology; nibbling her lower lip, she clenched her fists in front of her.

"I'm sorry that this is the only way I know how to fix things; I should have been stronger so that I wouldn't have to resort to this…but I'm not… the only way I know to stop this carnage is by battling it with more carnage… so, I'm sorry…"

Rukia felt herself swallowing a lump in her throat; still staring at the ceiling, she closed her eye and finally allowed the weight of everything to anchor her down.

She felt so exhausted right now; her mind, her body, her soul, her everything just wanted to stop and let it all go.

The burden of carrying the mantle of responsibility was starting to become too much for her to bear. She couldn't bring herself to count how many times she already told herself, _'I can't carry this anymore'._

"It's okay, Kuchiki-san… I trust you."

Gray-violet cracked open at the girl's small remark.

"Kuchiki-san is doing it for everyone, ne? She's sacrificing herself so that everyone can have a better future, ne?"

Rukia panned her head down to look at the princess, whose eyes sparkled with tears as she continued to speak.

"I can never know what Kuchiki-san has gone through, and even if I did, I will never be able to understand it… so I'm trusting you… we're all trusting you with whatever decision you lead us with."

Rukia bit back a snort as a small smile of irony stretched across her lips.

"But trust and hate are different things, Hime-chan..."

"No one hates you, Kuchiki-san; it's just that they don't understand yet…"

With Orihime's sentence trailing off, silence befell between the two again.

Rukia felt her eyes focusing then unfocusing on the ceiling as she licked her lips.

"Do you hate me, Orihime?"

The girl lifted her head, her eyes holding confusion at the older woman's question.

"You already ask-"

"No, not for that, do you hate me… for ruining him…"

'_For __adding those scars on his body and depriving him from a 'normal' life… from you…' _Rukia wanted to add.

Orihime quickly dropped her head to look at her clammy hands. She avoided eye contact in fear that she wouldn't be able to conceal her darkest secrets and desires from shining through them.

It would've been a lie if she said that she didn't think of the possibilities. She couldn't remember how long it had already been, days spent on wondering...

If he had looked at her.

If he had laughed with her.

_If he had felt for her…_

It would have been easier if she hated the shinigami for hindering any possibilities from coming true; it would've been so much easier…

But Orihime couldn't bring herself to do that… she just couldn't…

"You're not a bad person, Kuchiki-san… as for Kurosaki-kun… I'm sure he doesn't hate you either."

'_He couldn't possibly come to hate you…__' _she thought.

"Doesn't hate me…"

Rather than a question, it was repeated almost as if Rukia was trying to find the meaning behind a strange sentence of words – ones that she had never heard of before.

"But, Hime-chan… what happens…"

Orihime started to think of what might come after that sentence, unable displace the feeling of fear in her heart.

_W__hat happens if I love him back?_

_What happens if-_

"…if the one to cause his death…was me?"

Burnt-orange snapped up towards the raven-haired woman, meeting her melancholic gray-violet iris. All movement stopped -her breathing, the world and God, Orihime felt as if her heart had stopped as well.

Her mouth opened and closed, not knowing what to say, and again, she felt the same pain in her heart as Rukia repeated those words.

"I _killed_ him, Orihime…"

Cold sweat started to form on her forehead.

"K-Kuchiki-san…what are you-"

"That boy has shouldered the responsibility of protecting all the lives of those who he love; even back then I always saw his wishes and means of shouldering it for the rest of his life."

Rukia knew this was hurting her friend and she didn't quite understand why she continued.

"_He died protecting me_; a mundane patrol it was, but I was too weak to hold my end of the fight… He died at twenty-five, too young to have lived life but too old to have not known it. I deprived him of a future; a family; a wife with kids… I deprived him of _life._"

Rukia rested her head back on the wall, her eye looking at the white ceiling of the room. She couldn't bring herself to look into Orihime's eyes.

The agony.

The betrayal.

She couldn't find it in herself to face it again.

* * *

_(Flashback_

**_"Do you know how old he was?"_**

_Even when small fists started to pound against her chest, Rukia maintained her stance and kept her eyes to the ground._

_"It was you! It was all **you!"**_

_Rukia accepted all the blows and cries without a fight. At the least, this was the least she could endure for causing his death._

_"If only you hadn't shown up! If only you hadn't existed!"_

_'Yes…' Rukia thought, 'if only I hadn't existed… the people I cherished wouldn't have needed to die…'_

_"Why! Why you! You're so callous and cold!"_

_Rukia felt her clenched jaw starting to ache as Orihime gripped at her sleeves and started to shake the shinigami, her tears flowing down in torrents as her voice grew hoarse from howling so loudly. Her black-haired friend, Arisawa Tatsuki, embraced her friend's shoulder and detached her from Rukia. As angry cries filled the otherwise quite sky, Rukia tightened her fists and found herself having difficulties keeping her heart beating steadily._

_"I don't know what's going on, but calm down, Orihime! It wasn't Kuchiki-san's fault that Ichigo-"_

_Orihime's cries continued on, unwilling to hear anything else, 'Why did he love you if you're nothing but a dead woman!"_

_Tatsuki held her friend back as the worn out girl tried to feebly lash her body out towards Rukia, her arms trying to free themselves from her friend's firm embrace._

_"Is this what you wanted? For him to stay with you forever?"_

_Rukia cringed at the accusation, 'no… it wasn't like that…'_

_"You- you took him away from everything! His friends-"_

_'I didn't mean to,' Rukia wasn't even sure if she was allowed to give excuses._

_"-his father, Karin, Yuzu…"_

_Rukia took in a deep breath and prepared herself before slowly lifting her head up to look into gray eyes that were ablaze with fury._

_Orihime spat out one last thing as her friend dragged her away from the site of the cold, gray tombstone. _

**_"You are selfish, Kuchiki Rukia."_**

_(End flashback)_

* * *

"What then, Hime-chan? Can you still say that I'm not a bad person?"

Rukia's voice croaked softly at the recollection, looking on, she saw the slightest of trembles from Orihime's form.

Things had started to spiral down from there…

_'And it wasn't like__ the princess knew…'_

_E__xactly what she had to go through to survive…_

_The breaking of Kuchiki Rukia._

Clenching her fist as she was forced to adapt to the life of warfare, it had polished her into a warrior with unparalleled swordsmanship; suffering and grief went hand-in-hand with each other, and became the second greatest teachers of life ever presented to Rukia; the first would've been death.

Guardian of hell.

Cerberus.

Hellhound.

_Dog__._

Due to her monstrous rampages before and even after the triumph of Aizen, she had earned the nickname of 'Cerberus' amongst allies and enemies alike; through all the bloodshed and through all the men killed in cold blood, she had unwittingly become the finest trophy of war. Staying rigid and unwavering as the whispers splashed her like a cold bucket of water; _'Beware, for she is Cerberus, the guard dog of hell, no one gets past her defenses._ Unblinking as she killed man after man in cold blood, the petite figure lead an army of soldiers _("monsters; beasts; __**murderers**__,"_ _some would say. "Brutal, in a way they never taught her…")._ Grinding her teeth when she was forced to bow in front of the very man who had ended her world.

But, she didn't realize at the time.

The only thing that had kept her from simply dropping to the ground and letting everything go was the same thing she was fighting against; Aizen.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted Rukia in the middle of her thoughts. Seeing the panic in Orihime's eyes, she reached out and gently patted the younger girl's hand to soothe her.

Rukia stood up with Orihime standing behind her; slowly opening the door, she saw the familiar hollow remains of a broken, horned-helmet. Rukia felt the slender figure freeze against her back and a hand clutching at her white uniform. She rested her hand on the hilt of her katana and glared into unwavering, emerald green eyes.

"You know why I'm here, I doubt that you'd want the girl to witness our little _exchange_, woman; I suggest you follow me quietly."

Ulquiorra turned around and started walking down the hallway; Rukia took a step to follow but felt a pull at her uniform, turning back she saw the knuckles of Orihime's fist turning white at her grip on the sleeve of her jacket.

"K-Kuchiki-san, let me go with you!"

Staring at the orange-head bowed low, the shinigami reached over to touch the girl's trembling hand.

"I can't do that, Hime-chan. Just stay here until I return, okay?"

Orihime whispered under her breath.

"But…but you might not return…"

When she felt Rukia's hand stroking her hair, Orihime looked up to stare into her soft gaze.

"Don't be ridiculous! I have to live long enough to protect you guys! Don't worry, Hime-chan! I'll be fine!"

With that, Rukia gently pried off the grip on her sleeve and let her hand drop back to her side. Following the path of the Cuatro, she started to walk down the hall.

Left in the space of her own room; Orihime dropped to her knees and felt hot tears freely cascading down her cheeks. She felt the sensation of complete grief wash over her as she stared at the retreating back of her friend; so small, so frail and yet…they were weighed down by unspeakable burdens.

"But Kuchiki-san…"

A hand lifted to clutch at the fabric above her heart. It felt so restricted that she couldn't breathe properly.

"…who will protect you…"

* * *

The two figures walked silently with no exchange of words, the tapping of their sandals being the only sound in the hallway. Rukia frowned at the stiff back in front of her. They were quite far from Orihime's room; she had to wonder why he hadn't already made his move yet.

She opened her mouth to speak; just to clarify her situation.

"I told you, my plan is not to fight you."

"Would that be your only plan, I wonder."

Rukia flash stepped left and dodged a green cero that created a gaping hole in the wall behind her.

"He told you to test me, didn't he?"

She saw him sheathing his sword and running towards her with his katana raised for a strike; gritting her teeth as she dodged the blade, Rukia saw strands of her own hair falling beside her, his blade glistened dangerously in the light.

"Answer me, Ulquiorra!"

A shadow fell on the fourth espada's pale, handsome face, illuminating his eerily melancholic green eyes.

"I have no obligation to answer to you, woman."

His long, boney finger lifted up to charge a cero towards her; Rukia narrowed her eye as she gripped the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it; raising it above her to cut down the hurtling ball of energy, she froze when she felt a light touch behind her neck.

'_S__hit! He's behi-'_

"Perish."

Almost as if in slow motion, Rukia turned to face the unreadable green eyes and tried desperately to dodge his attack before her line of vision was overwhelmed by the bright light. Her lips opened in a silent scream and the sensation of hot-white pain coursed through her body –she swore she could practically feel her blood hitting the floor in torrents.

Clutching her wounded shoulder, Rukia struggled to urgently create space between them and saw how her blood had splattered from his slender finger, on his clean, white uniform and towards his expressionless face -the red of her blood clashing harshly with the white of his skin.

"I must applaud you for dodging a critical hit in such a short span of time. However, such a mistake…"

Ulquiorra disappeared once more and reappeared next to Rukia, his finger pointing at her temple.

"…will not be repeated."

Another cero was charged and this time, Rukia couldn't maneuver her body fast enough to dodge it. Slowly; painfully she found the world starting to tilt right before her body hit the ground with a dull thud.

* * *

Orihime felt her heart drop at the feeling of a slight tremor under her feet. The soft flow of her friend's spiritual energy had suddenly stopped…

'_No… K-Kuchiki-san…'_

From the floor of her room, the orange haired princess bolted towards the door and started to frantically pound on it; with her blood throbbing in her ears, she couldn't ward off the mental image of Rukia on the floor drowning in her own blood.

_Kuchiki-san._

_Kuchiki-san._

"**Kuchiki-san!" **

Her pounds became panicked and her eyes were blurred with overflowing tears, the feeling of dread that anchored down her stomach was the same one that she had felt many years ago on the night of her brother's death.

'_You can't leave me here…there's no way… Y-you can't be…'_

Suddenly, the door to Orihime's room opened.

"Is there anything you nee-"

The short arrancar maid was taken by surprise when Orihime grabbed her by her narrow shoulders.

"Kuchiki-san! Where is Kuchiki-san!"

"R-right this way."

When the maid started to head down the corridor, Orihime followed suit, her heart hammering painfully against her ribcage.

_Kuchiki-san couldn't be…_

_There's no way she could be…_

'_You can't be dead…'_

* * *

"_Just don't destroy too many buildings, Ulquiorra."_

_The fourth espada shifted his eyes towards the three __monsters who were seated around the table. None of their usual smirking faces held a grin –not even a tug of the lips._

"_I want you to test her; b__ring out her power and see how powerful she is..."_

_If the woman's intentions were to rattle and scare Aizen, then Ulquiorra had to acknowledge her prowess, because it seemed as if the matter of her strength was something not even the three __men were willing to underestimate._

"…_if she dies, that would be her loss."_

* * *

Feeling the shinigami's reiatsu deplete and thinking about Aizen's command, Ulquiorra had to wonder if it was necessary to have sent such a powerful opponent to test her and watched silently as the halo of blood broadened with each passing second.

"It was foolish of you to have bared your fangs at a _God_."

Turning around to walk away from the crumbled body, the quiet tapping of his sandals were only embraced by the silence of death. It was interesting while it lasted; he had to give it to her for garnering his attention.

"_Goddamnit_ that hurt…"

The cuatro froze as the still atmosphere was suddenly invaded by an unknown reiatsu, one that was much darker and hostile then that of the shinigami's. He could almost feel it burn wherever the sinister spiritual energy licked at his skin; turning around, he was met with the lone gray-violet iris that slowly began to glow silver and bleed black.

'_She got up? I'm sure I didn't miss…'_

He could feel her dark power swirl around him, threatening to touch him. Prick him. Consume him. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes when he spotted the blood gushing out from Rukia's head wound.

'_No… I didn't miss…'_

"Long time no see, Ulqui-chan."

With Sode no Shirayuki drawn and casually resting on her shoulder, a maniacal grin bearing enlarged canines stretched across Rukia's pale, bloody face.

'_Th__at eye…that posture…and that smell of a monster that burns my heart…what is she?'_

Ulquiorra noticed the white fragments of a hollow's remain starting to manifest around her neck; slowly it started to take shape, resembling a dog collar with an ivory chain hanging down the front -reaching the figure's waist. He saw the woman reaching up to touch the wound on her temple and looking at the blood that had smeared on her hand.

"To think that you would dare to harm my Queen; though I guess I should thank you, it's been a while since she's let her guard down like this."

Ulquiorra's emerald eyes widened a fraction when he saw that the Kuchiki woman had suddenly vanished. Instantaneously her face appeared unexpectedly very close to his -their noses just barely touching.

"_Boo."_

Before Ulquiorra had a chance to react, Rukia slashed upward as her blade cut through the espada's chest. Ulquiorra jumped away as blood spilled from the deep gash carved out on his chest. Drawing fresh blood, Rukia purred with delight as she stared at the crimson red dripping from the tip of her blade, contrasting violently with the whites of the floor.

In the darkness of the hall, her eye shone with a menacing glint and her lips stretched into a feral grin.

"It was foolish of you, _Ulquiorra_, to have bared your fangs…"

Her dark reiatsu was spiked to levels that made the espada grip the hilt of his sword tighter.

"…at a _dog."_

* * *

The arrancar maid and Orihime froze at the sudden weight in the atmosphere.

'_T-this reiatsu…'_

Trembling knees gave way with barely a struggle.

Ominous.

Dark.

Oppressing.

Orihime felt the vines of evil wrap around her frail body and prevent her from breathing; from moving.

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her forehead and she felt the inside of her core freezing over from absolute fear. This reiatsu was that of a monsters; a beast. By far the most chilling she's ever felt.

'_God, it can't be hers…'_

* * *

Unbelievable.

He was getting _cornered _by the woman.

"Ara? Come on, Ulqui-chan, it's been so long since we've last fought! At least put up a good fight for me!"

The more and more Ulquiorra dodged her blurry dance of swings, the more he concluded that he was indeed fighting against a monster. He always knew that she was strong, but he could never have guessed that it was to this extent.

Rukia suddenly closed the distance between them in a single stride. Appearing on his left, she pointed to his temple.

'_A cero?'_

There was a spark at the tip of her finger before a ball of black-purple energy formed.

Dodging just before it fired, Ulquiorra shunpoed next to Rukia and made a strike for her still-extended arm.

"Nice try, _Cuatro_"

Ulquiorra felt a sudden emptiness below his right elbow before seeing his arm flying in front of him, sword still in hand.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Such a thing is expandable."

The eerie silver iris widened when pain ripped through her heart. Thick wine-red blood started to flow out from her mouth and glancing downwards, Rukia could see a hand protruding through her chest, covered in bright, bright red. Against the coldness of his skin, it felt as if a spear of ice had impaled her.

'_He sacrificed his arm!'_

Shifting her eyes behind her, she spotted Ulquiorra's vivid green eyes. The bloody gaped mouth closed and formed a smirk.

"Not bad, Ulqui-chan."

Black purple reiatsu suddenly erupted from the ground to form around her, forcing Ulquiorra to extract his arm and jump back to create a large space between them.

'_It was a strike to her heart…'_

And yet, she was still alive?

"What are you."

The barrier of reiatsu lowered down and Rukia turned to face the espada -who saw that the hole in her heart slowly started to close up, layers of new muscle and skin regenerating over the gaping hole where his hand had pierced through.

"Let's just say that Aizen had enough practice to get his little experiments to where it is today."

Ulquiorra regenerated his arm and beckoned for his sword as Rukia spiked up her spiritual energy even further, making small pieces of rubble fall from the ceiling of the heavily damaged corridor.

"You ain't gonna survive my attacks in the form you're in right now."

Staying silent, Ulquiorra flexed his wrist and brought his sword up to point towards her; towards the base of her throat. Green reiatsu manifested and rose to clash aggressively with the waves of Rukia's black-purple energy.

"Che, stubborn as always."

The two charged at each other with their sword's raised above their heads.

"**Stop!"**

Rukia's eye widened in surprise when Orihime suddenly appeared in between the two, her arms raised and eyes filled with fear at the close proximity with the monster that was once her friend.

"Foolish girl! Do you want to die!"

Too late to deflect the path of her sword, the shinigami quickly flipped her katana and pushed the girl aside roughly with the back of the blade.

"Distracted."

Ulquiorra took the opportunity of the opening and impaled his sword in her stomach. Her silver iris glared at him before she reached up to clutch the sword. Despite getting cut by the blade in the process, Rukia's grip tightened before it started to chip in her hand.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and pulled his sword free from her hand, simultaneously forming a fountain of blood that was gushing from her wound. Rukia took a couple of staggering steps backwards; she shifted her eye to the still figure of the human girl on the floor who had fallen unconscious after heavily impacting the walls of the corridor, a decent dent showing where she hit. She grasped the middle of her dog chain and pulled, making the hollow fragments disintegrate into thin air. Slowly, the normal shade of gray-violet returned to her eye and the compelling reiatsu of her darker self dissolved.

Rukia made her way towards the unconscious girl and carried her bridal style, frowning in disapproval when her blood started to weave and stain the fabric of her friend's white uniform. Walking towards Orihime's room, Rukia spared a glance towards the espada.

"Unless you wish to _die, _you will not attempt this foolish experiment again."

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_To be continued…_

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**I feel like ****I'm in a slump!  
But thank you for all those who patiently waited for the next chapter!**

**From here on, m****y stories will resume its monthly updates! And I will be updating chapter three of "Oh, Kami-Sama!" very shortly!**

**(****Also, this chapter may be edited)**

**~Peace,**

**Happy Kat **◕ ‿‿ ◕.


	14. The One Who Vowed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, that honor goes to Tite Kubo.**

_(Recap)_

_Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and pulled his sword free from her hand, simultaneously forming a fountain of blood that was gushing from her wound. Rukia took a couple of staggering steps backwards; she shifted her eye to the still figure of the human girl on the floor who had fallen unconscious after heavily impacting the walls of the corridor, a decent dent showing where she hit. She grasped the middle of her dog chain and pulled, making the hollow fragments disintegrate into thin air. Slowly, the normal shade of gray-violet returned to her eye and the compelling reiatsu of her darker self dissolved._

_Rukia made her way towards the unconscious girl and carried her bridal style, frowning in disapproval when her blood started to weave and stain the fabric of her friend's white uniform. Walking towards Orihime's room, Rukia spared a glance towards the espada._

_"Unless you wish to die, you will not attempt this foolish experiment again."_

* * *

"You're insane, you realize that don't you," without a fault in the rhythm of his walking, Ichigo continued to make his way towards the First Division Hall. The old man had said a team had to be assembled; getting it done and heading to Hueco Mundo in the fastest time possible was the top priority in Ichigo's mind. Renji shuffled behind him with an intense frown, sometimes he wondered why he even had any patience left for the boy, "it's suicide if you go in without any sort of training before hand."

Renji recoiled in surprise when his friend abruptly stopped and turned around.

"What kind of training would I need? I know he's strong, Renji, and I wish I had enough time for that, but I don't. Rukia needs us _now_."

Ichigo silently waited for a reply and even then, he could feel those precious seconds slipping through his fingers like grains of sand; asking for time wasn't an option for them. Looking into Renji's eyes, he found the anguish and disheartened light shine through them and realized –both of them were in a desperately hopeless situation.

Staring at the retreating back of the human, Renji felt the prick of irritation course through his blood. Rukia was his friend, too; leaving her in a den of demons wasn't an appealing reality to him, and getting his conscious ripped apart by Ichigo's speech of justice wasn't helping either. But the boy just didn't know what he was getting himself into.

"Do you have any idea who you're going up against?" Renji briskly followed behind Ichigo, "can you even control that hollow of yours!"

The substitute shinigami froze, his entire figure visibly tensing at the mention of the roaming darkness residing inside him. It was a low blow, Renji knew this, but everything was spiraling out of control so fast, he just didn't want a fool, a human… his _friend _marching to his death on a high horse and shining armor.

Fingers curled and dug painfully into palms. In all honesty, Ichigo was scared of the lack of control he had over the ominous hollow. All he had was a maniacal voice screaming in his mind to do things he wouldn't dream of doing. It had no shape or form and that was what made it even worse. With no body to cut down or a heart to pierce, Ichigo felt shrouded in this darkness where ever he went, what ever he did -his mind soon became his own poison.

There wasn't an hour in the day spent not thinking about the cackling deep within his own mind, "I… I'll have to…"

The Lieutenant felt a migraine working its way to his temple and his brow creasing even further, "but _can _you?"

Ichigo looked back at his friend, a hidden look of desperation flickering in his eyes, "Renji, _that isn't an option_."

_That isn't an option…_

_I didn't say, "I want to save her"…_

_I said, "I have to save her"…_

_It's my fault that Rukia's gonna die…_

_That's why I **have **to save her…_

'_Ah…' _Renji felt the same sensation of weakness course through his blood, _'just like last time…'_

It was so difficult to accept at first… his own defeat, body and soul, against a human boy who suddenly barged into their lives brandishing only his liberal words as his armor and weapon. Where did such confidence come from? Such strength? Something that not even a hollow's power could provide… where? What drove him to go against thousands of years of tradition? Against the whole of Soul Society? The world? _What drove Kurosaki Ichigo to stand against the face of death?_

In a sense, he was indeed a frightening young man.

"Renji, I'm hoping that you'll be on the team… Rukia would like that…" Ichigo's voice interrupted his thoughts, Renji gave a sigh of defeat and ran his fingers through red tresses, "you can count on it."

* * *

It had existed in her mind once, a black and white world where good was good and evil was evil; however, she didn't notice the blurring line and the black that had managed to seep into the white. Soon, everything turned into gray; a gray heart, a gray world and a gray sense of morality. In the end, it wasn't good versus evil -it was simply evil versus more evil.

No matter how hard she tried to mix the white to the gray, it blended to nothing and only seemed to get darker and darker by the black that constantly seeped through the cracks.

Rukia had to wonder if her humanity could withstand the test she was about to put it through.

"Five different shades of violet; speckled with a tone of amethyst, lavender and lilacs. Such a beauty." A slick voice interrupted Rukia's thoughts; looking up, she could see the eerie amber eyes behind hollow framed glasses. "Quite a rare specimen, would you mind letting me inspect your eye when you're dead? My laboratory could use a specimen like you."

Peering from behind his glasses, Szayel took a step closer to get a better look at her iris, his widely grinning lips ghosting dangerously close to hers. It was almost suffocating. Rukia growled at the daring proximity but didn't back down. She could already smell the blood and steel coming off of his body.

"Back off."

"We haven't even known each other for five minutes and I can already tell you hate me. Why?" Rukia felt an itching sensation in her clenched hands and a burning ache where her eye would've been; that smirk of his was beginning to piss her off, perhaps Aizen wouldn't mind if she killed this one off…

"I've heard that the shinigamis were test subjects in your time, I do hope that _you _were the result of my experiment." Szayel instantly stopped his mocking when he felt a cold blade touching his neck. Looking intently into her eye, the Octava could feel shivers running down his spine at how _cold _the shinigami's gaze was – so indifferent, so callous; it was magnificent. He didn't even _see _her drawing her sword.

Cold sweat started to form when Rukia's reiatsu spiked to great levels, Szayel felt a chilling sensation all over his body where the dark energy licked at his skin. Never had he felt such excitement over a future experimental subject before –she would be worth the wait.

"I advise you that you keep your temper controlled, woman." Rukia silently sheathed her katana and ignored the new presence of the fourth espada; it was the third time he had interfered between her and her prey and she was starting to lose patience with him, the thought of killing him off first manifested into her mind. Rukia stepped forward and stood toe-to-toe with the maniacal scientist, "you will die by my hands eventually, _Octava._"

Her voice low and menacing, the grin on Szayel's pale face grew wider when he heard the pronunciation roll off of her tongue so sensuously; Rukia felt disgusted when she could see his pupils dilate from desire. Giving a threatening growl, the curvaceous figure made her way down the hallway towards the meeting room, _'madman.'_

When she was assertive that she was out of view from anyone, Rukia took a right turn into a hallway and drifted further away from her original destination, _'maybe… maybe it's actually here…'_

Frantically turning left and right and weaving through identical halls, Rukia came to a halt in front of an unoccupied cell; looking through the small barred opening, she felt angst rushing back to her when she saw the familiar interior, "so it's been here since the beginning…"

* * *

_(flashback)_

_In the midst of cries and the smell of blood lingering on the cell walls, Rukia felt her heart beating faster in anxiety. Something was going to happen, she just didn't know what. Unaware of her trembling body, Rukia snapped in surprise when she felt a warm hand rest on hers._

"_Calm down, Rukia. I'm here."_

_She looked intently into amber eyes and remembered the times when they managed to soothe her; these days, it took everything in her body to hold back her choked sobs. 'He wasn't supposed to be here… he wasn't supposed to fight this war…' and yet, he was very much here, sitting next to her in their oppressive prison._

_When Ichigo saw the petite shinigami maintaining her tense posture, he slowly reached over to embrace her in his arms. Biting his lips, Ichigo was torn with unknown guilt when he could feel her heart beating fiercely in her chest. He couldn't even protect her…_

_Rukia roughly coiled her bruised arms around him and gritted her teeth,'Ichigo, you better keep me sane, you idiot... I can't do it for myself...' Rukia's mind kept on repeating the same words, over, and over, and over._

"_Rukia… I need you to promise me one thing, just one thing."_

_The raven head nodded feverously. To her, it almost sounded like he was practicing saying goodbye to her._

"_Remember them… if not their faces, then at least their names… we are capable of doing that much at the least…"_

_Silence was what bounded their vow together and Rukia knew now for sure, that their time would be up soon enough. She was dying, he was dying and the knowledge that they would die together embroiled her to step forward into a barrage of demons. After getting captured, it had become a routine for them, they kept watch over one another, knowing that nightmares were a foe almost as terrifying as any enemy soldier could be. And like that, they had spent many nights in each other's embrace. Knowing that it was the only thing that stopped them from breaking._

_The sudden screech of an opening door sliced through the silence and the feeling of dread coursed through Rukia's blood. 'It couldn't be this soon… not this soon…'_

_The espada sent a vicious kick to Rukia's abdomen, sending her flying across the cell, "Rukia!" the raging Ichigo was swiftly subdued by the enemy, who was starting to drag the man out of the cell. Coughing up thick wine-red blood, Rukia struggled to catch her breath. Stumbling up, she hastily grabbed onto Ichigo's shihakushou. "D-don't go, Ichigo…"_

_Before the espada could deal a blow to her, Ichigo grabbed onto her forearm and squeezed comfortingly, "I'll be back, don't worry." Ichigo gave a soft smile in a futile attempt to reassure her. Walking out, the image of Rukia's horrified; tear-stained eyes burnt itself into his mind, 'I can't die here, not yet…'_

* * *

_Walking down the white hallways, the time-ravaged shinigami stole lazy glances at each passing door. She was no longer small, no longer weak and no longer innocent. Countless years had already gone by and the past memories were only faraway fantasies in the lone iris of Rukia._

_Walking slowly, she came to stand in front of a cell door, one that looked identical to all the others she had already passed. The single remaining orb of amethyst soaked in the details of her once captive cell. How many years had it been? Rukia softened her gaze when she thought back to her last moment with that fool; he had promised that he would come back… and here she was with many years behind her –alone._

'_You liar…'_

_Recalling the pain, she had never imagined it to be possible. How could a heart hurt so much? With no Ichigo, the little bit of sanity she tried so hard to keep in tact had started to crumble away years ago, 'it wasn't supposed to be like this…'_

_Rukia snapped her head when she felt a sudden change in atmosphere. Peering around, she frowned when she couldn't identify any body in the vicinity._

"_Hello, **Queen**."_

_The sinister chill returned in the atmosphere; turning around, Rukia's vision was barraged with a familiar ceramic white face. When her brain finally registered just whom it was that stood in front of her, she slowly held her breath… 'So is this what you show yourself as…Ichigo…'_

_With every step the daunting hollow took, Rukia took one back until she was cornered against the cell door. The raven-haired shinigami flinched when a pale, callous hand slammed against the wall behind her. She could feel cold sweat starting to form against her temple at the close proximity, 'too close… too dangerous…'_

_Rukia tried to side step left, to her only escape, but was caged inside a wall of arms when the hollow blocked off her only exit. Rukia tightly clenched her jaw when Ichigo's hollow face drew closer._

"_What's with that expression, Queen? I thought you'd be happy to see the King after so long." Rukia could feel the tips of their noses brushing, "what happened to him..."_

_She saw him lift his hand away from the wall, "he's stuck in here," a slender finger pointed towards his temple._

"_The King's horse will be taking over from now on," The shinigami clenched her fists tightly when the deathly white face of the man she had once loved drew closer to whisper in her ear, "So naturally, anything that belongs to Ichigo is also mine." He started to say, sending chills down Rukia's spine._

"_It's only right to say that he is me…and I am him…and what is his…is also **mine." **He stressed darkly. Rukia snapped away from his face and concentrated on the opposite wall behind him, "don't say such things while having his face, you will never be Ichigo."_

_The sensation of crawling maggots feathered across her skin when she heard a deep chuckle._

"_Do you know what his deepest, most darkest desires are? There's a bad part of me that enjoys what you are, **shinigami**."_

_His icy cold hand painfully grabbed her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes; he almost growled in ecstasy when he saw the most intense **hate** shining through her remaining iris – and what a beautiful shade it was. A stunningly eerie mix of lilac and steel._

"_Think about it, these dark desires had to have risen from somewhere… from **someone**, my Queen."_

_Roughly letting go of Rukia's chin, the darker ego of a once great man shunpoed out of the building. After the suffocating aura disappeared, Rukia fell to her knees and clenched at the fabric above her heart; Ichigo was worse off now, than what death could offer him. _

_(End flashback)_

* * *

_She was here again…_

Stealing quick glances, Rukia observed the faces of all those who were seated around the meeting table. If she were any less experienced, she would've believed the passively calm faces of her tormentors. _However_, Rukia could see their pursed lips, their clenched hands, their distant eyes that didn't dare to flicker anywhere else. Each having their own tense and guarded expressions, she had to be grateful to them for not underestimating her despite her current –seemingly _dire_- situation. Information-wise, Rukia had the advantage of knowing their abilities and level of skill.

Looking around the table, Rukia frowned when she couldn't see a certain scowling face, "where's Grimmjow."

She dismissed all the looks that had turned to her direction and maintained her steely gaze on Aizen. When a ghost of a smile stretched across his lips, Rukia felt her heart drop.

"He's in the human world," Aizen composed himself and made sure his grin didn't stretch too wide.

_'The human world? Shouldn't he still be in Soul Society?' _Rukia bit down on her lip, composing herself before any sort of emotion managed to escape her facade, she had to act calmly, "to kill off the human I assume," she slowly clenched her jaw when she saw the flame of mirth dancing in chestnut brown irises.

Rukia gave a half-hearted gaze of boredom, "I advise you to keep the boy alive for now. His power is one of the keys to unlocking the full potential of the hogyoku," standing up from her seat, Rukia made her way towards the door. Walking past Aizen, she stole a quick side-glance at the still-grinning man, "I'll go fetch the Sexta."

Walking out the door, Rukia silently cursed under her breath when she could feel his amused glance in the air. That damn bastard had planned for this. He knew… he had to have figured it out by now, that her intentions of staying on his side was all a lie...

'_But why isn't he taking action… just what the hell is he planning…'_ once outside, Rukia opened a garganta and silently growled in frustration as she walked into its distorted space, she just hoped that her plan didn't spiral out of her control.

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_To be continued…_

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I have no idea how I went with this.

All I know is that I started off with a new found enthusiasm and was determined to get a chapter done before my motivational juice ran out.

One thing I know for sure is that no matter how long it takes for me to update a chapter, I **will** get this story finished. No matter how many years this story might actually span over, I really don't want to give up on it.

I give my undying love and thanks to all those who read, reviewed, favorited and alerted this story despite such a long absence on my part, they were a driving fuel that eventually stacked up and allowed me to start a new chapter. And a special thanks to Bloodtintedrain and all the readers she managed to bring in through her art work on deviantart, I got inspired when I read so many comments saying that they really wanted the next chapter for 'To turn back time.' Thank you all so very much!

I'm not spontaneously writing chapters on end, since I'm still kind of suffering a slump. BUT! I am making sure to write at least 1 or 2 paragraphs everyday (sometimes just sentences).

I'll end my ramble here xD!.

~ Peace, M.


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